
Oass E^E^ 

Book .\N 2 V9^ 



jik^ 



HISTOKIOAL SKETCHES 



CHURCHES OF WARWICK, 



RHODE ISL>AI^r). 



OLIVER P. FULLER. 

TO WHICH IS ADDED 

A KECOHD OF PERSONS JOINED IN MARRIAGE 
IN THAT TOWN 



ELDER JOHN GORTON. 



1754 TO 1792. 



PROVIDENCK 
SIDNEY S. lUl>Ea 

1880. 



HISTORICAL SKETCHES 



^f 



CHURCHES OF WARWICK, 



RXIODE ISLAINTD. 



OLIVER P. FULLER. 



TO WHICH IS ADDED 



A RECORD OF PERSONS JOINED IN MARRIAGE 
IN THAT TO^\^ 



ELDP:R JOHN GORTON. 



1754 TO 1792. 



,..t..,. 



^1 



'**I»M4*«*' 



PROV^IDENCK 
SIDNEY S . U I 1) K 1{ 

1880. 



d^.A' 



Tn Ifixeh. 












These sketches ori^inall.v formed the appendix to the History 
ofWarwick, Rhode Ishiiid, by the same aiitlior. The records of 
these societies date far back into the early history of the Colony, 
and are brought down to a ver^^ recent period. To this edition 
has been added tlie Kecord of persons joined in marriage by Elder 
John Goiiton, in the town of Warwick from 175-t to 17'Ji'. 
They are two hundred and eighty-one in number, and are of 
great value in tracing the genealogy of families living in 
Warwick and to some extent throughout the State. 



HISTORICAL SKETCHES 



CHURCHES IN WARWICK, RHODE ISLAND. 



INTEODTJCTION. 

The early ecclesiastical history of the town of Warwick 
is involved in much obscvirity, and no reliable evidence 
exists of the formation of any independent church for 
about three-fourths of a century after the first settlement 
in 1642. That a respectable portion of the first settlers 
were Christian people there is no doubt. In 1639, John 
Greene, Richard Waterman, Francis Weston, Ezekiel 
Holliman, Wm. Arnold and Stukely Westcott, then 
residing in Providence, united with six others in church 
relation, and " agreed to support in faith and practice 
the principles of Christ's doctrine." These six men, 
whose names are above-mentioned, were among the 
earliest settlers of this town, three of them being among 
the original purchasers of the land. Before uniting in 
church relations at Providence, they had become " con- 
vinced of the truth of believers' baptism" by immersion, 
but had not had the privilege of practicing according to 
their faith. There was no minister of like sentiments, 
who had been immersed, to administer the ordinance of 
baptism, and to meet the difficulty they selected Ezekiel 

2 



CHUECECES OF WARWICK, E. I. 



Holliraan, a " pious and gifted man," to baptize Roger 
Williams, which was accordingly done, when Mr. Wil- 
liams in turn, baptized Mr. Holliman and the others. 
This was the origin of the First Baptist Church of Provi- 
dence. Three years later, one-half the constituent mem- 
bers of that church settled witliin the limits of this town. 
There were others besides them who were professed 
Christians.* 

Though it does not appear that there was an organ- 
ized church in the town for a considerable period, 
there are evidences that Holliman, Waterman and their 
associates who united in the formation of the church at 
Providence, still retained their membership in that body, 
visiting it as often as they found it convenient, but 
holding meetings of worship in their own town as a 
branch of the mother church. We have found no posi- 
tive evidence of this, however. Rev. John Callender, 
then pastor o( the First Baptist Church at Newport, in 
his iamous centennial discourse, published in 1738, al- 
luding to the First Church of Providence, says : " This 
church shot out into divers branches, as the members 
increased, and the distance of their habitation made it 
inconvenient for them to attend the public worship in 
town Several meetings were fixed at different places, 
and about the time the large township of Providence 
became divided into four towns,! these chapels of ease 
began to be considered as distinct churches, though all 



* On March 13, 1G39, at the General Court in Boston, "John Smith, 
for (iistiubinj; the iDublic iieace, by combinitg witli others to hinder tlie 
orderly gathering of a church at Weynioiith, and to set up another 
there, contrary to the orders here establishecl, and the constant iirac- 
tice of all our churches, and for undue procuring tlie hands of many 
to a blank for that purpose, is fined £.0, and committed during the 
pleasure of the Court or the Council."— j^oss Col. Hec. 1, 252. 

The name, John Smith, is a little confusing. Whether it was the 
same person of that name who became an early resident of this town, 
and was President of the Rhode Island Colony in Kifi), I am not able 
to decide. After the above experience from the Massacliusetts Court, 
he would have been likely to seek more hospitable regions. It is 
known that some of the Weymouth faction came to lUiode Island. 

•t This was in January, l1?,Q-\.— Arnold, Vol. 11, 102. 



INTRODUCTION. 



are yet in a union of counsels and interests."* On a 
subsequent page, he says: "There are in the nine towns 
on the main land, eight churches of the people, called 
Baptists, one in every town except East Greenwich, 
where there is, however, a Meeting House, in which 
there is a metting once a month.f In a note he adds 
the names of Manasseh Martyn and Fiancis Bates as the 
elders of the Warwick Church. Elder JMartyn was or- 
dained to the ministry in 1725, though the earliest records 
of this church extant bear the date oi 1741. J 

Allowing that the church here existed as a branch of 
the First Church at Providence up to the time of the 
division of the town of Providence, or about the 
that time, the interval, during which we have no records 
of a distinct church would be accounted for. If they 
were only a branch church, their records would probably 
be merged in those of the Providence Church. § It is 
well known that the doctrine of laying-on-of-hands, was 



* Branch churches, with certain delegated powers from the mother 
church, among which were the privileges of celebrating tlie com- 
mnnion and admitting members, have been common in Six Principle 
churches from time immemorial. Tlie membership of such 
"Branches" was recorded with that of the parent church. See ac- 
counts of the Crompton Church and the Bethel of that order on subse- 
quent pages. 

t In 1730, says Backus, "there were thirteen Baptist churches, 
most of them small, who held annual associations to promote disci- 
pline and communion among them upon the six principles in Hebrews 
VI." — Backus Hist, of the Baptists. 

t Knight's History, p. 273. 

§ On Friday, May 28, 1873, occurred the centennial anniversary of the 
opening of tlae First Baptist Church of Providence, when an interest- 
ing and valuable address was delivered by Hon. Samuel G. Arnold, 
From this address we make the following extract: ''The clmrch rec- 
ords begin in April, 1775, preceded by a list of iiiembers admitted from 
December, 1774, during the great revival, to June 30, 1782. Prefixed 
to the regular records, there is a 'Histoi-y of the Baptist Church of 
Christ in Providence, Bhode Island, being the oldest Baptist Church 
in America,' with an introduction prepared in 1789, by John Stanford, 
minister, tlien temporarily acting as pastor of the church. This is a 
brief summary of such events as could then be collected respecting 
the history of the church for a hundred and fifty years, froar its foun- 
dation in 1G39. Mr. Stanford's original manuscript of twenty folio 
pages, is preserved in the archives of the Society, and has very 
properly been copied into the first volume of the Church records. In 



CHURCHES OF WARWICK, E. I. 



held by the First Church of Providence,* in a lax 
manner at its beginning, but it " became afterwards a 
term of communion, and continued so until after Dr. 
Manning came among them ; he prevailed with the 
church to admit to occasional communion those brethren 
who were not convinced of the duty of coming under 
hands ; but very few such were received as members till 
after his death. On August 4, 1791, the church had a 
full meeting, when this point was deliberately considered, 
and a clear vote was gained to admit members who did 
not hold that doctrine. But notwithstanding this vote, 
the laying-on-of-hands, not as an ordinance, but as a 
form of receiving new members, was generally practiced 
until after the death of President Manning.f The first 
church of Warwick was of the Six Principle order. 

The alternative of supposing a branch church during 
a period of three-fourths of a century as existing here, 
would be that of supposing the strong personal influence 
and peculiar religious opinions of Samuel Gorton, who 
was a preacher, and sustained a rehgious meeting during 
this time, prevented the formation of any church, or the 
holding of any meetings that were not in accordance with 
his views. At first we were inclined to this view. But 
upon further research and consideration, the alternative 
was rejected. That Mr. Gorton held a meeting during this 
time is probable, but that the nucleus of the church, 
which assumed an independent existence about the year 
1725, had existed many years previous as a branch of 
the First Church, Providence, seems worthy of credit. 

Some account of Samuel Gorton and of his peculiar 



1828, a small pamplilet was printed under the direction of the late 
Nicholas Brown, then President of the Society, containing the charter 
and by laws, together with the 'minutes of the early proceedings of 
the Society from its first recorded meetings till 1793, when Dr. Gano 
was called to the pastorate.' In this tract of sixteen pages, are pre- 
served a complete transcript from the records for the first sixteen 
months and the more important entries till the calling of Dr. Gano." 

* Benedict's Hist. Vol. I, 487. 

tDr. Hague's Historioal discourse, p. 107. 



INTRODUCTION. 



religious views, seem appropriate in this connection as 
belonging to the ecclesiastical history of the town. 
Though no church was formed in connection with his 
ministrations, he exerted a powerful influence upon the 
religious views of the colony. Benedict, in his history, 
says: "Callender, Backus and others who have spoken of 
Gorton's religious opinions, acknowledge that it is hard 
to tell what he believed, but they assure us that it ought 
to be believed that he held all the heresies that were 
ascribed to him. The most we can learn is, that in alle- 
gory and double-meanings of scripture he was similar to 
Origen ; in mystical theology and the rejection of ordi- 
nances, he resembled the Quakers ; and the notion of 
visible churches he utterly rejected/' That he held all 
the heresies that were ascribed to him, as intimated by 
Dr. Benedict, is hardly to be credited, as some of them 
that were published during the life of Gorton in " Mor- 
ton's New England Memorial," were distinctly disa- 
vowed by Gorton himself. The remark of Dr. Benedict 
is too sweeping, and does not accord with the statement 
of Callender, who says: "There are sufficient reasons why 
we ought not and cannot believe he held all that are con- 
fidently fathered upon him. For it is certain, that, what- 
ever impious opinions his adversaries imputed to him, and 
whatever horrid consequences the}^ drew from the 
opinions he owned, he ascribed as bad to them and fixed 
as dreadful consequences upon their tenets ; and at the' 
same time in the most solemn manner, denies and disa- 
vows many things they charge him with ; above all, when 
he is charged with denying a future state and judg- 
ment to come, both in theory and practice, he peremp- 
torily and vehemently denies the charge, and solemnly 
appeals to God and all that knew him, of the in- 
tegrity of his heart and the purity of his hands ; and 
avers that he always joins eternity with religion, as most 
essential. And that the doctrine of the general Salva- 
tionists was the thing which his soul most hated. 
[Answer to Morton's Memorial, — Calender, p. 92]. 
Calender further says : "He strenuously opposed the 

*2 



10 CHURCHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 

doctrines of the people called Quakers. I am informed 
that he and his followers maintained a religious meeting 
on the first day of the week for above sixty years, and 
that their worship consisted of prayers to God, of preach- 
ing, or expounding the scriptures and singing of psalms." 
Dr. Benedict says : " He was a leader of a religious 
meeting in Warwick above sixty years." This state- 
ment is incorrect, as he died in 1667, or twenty-five 
years from the founding of the town. The statement of 
Callender will come nearer to the truth " that he and his 
followers " maintained a meeting for that length of time. 
No church was organized by him or his followers, but 
stated seasons of worship were held upon the Sabbath in 
which the gospel was dispensed freely to all who would 
listen to it. Among his chief heresies were the rejection 
of an organized visible church and the ordinances con- 
nected with it ; and from these peculiar views and those 
of minor importance which grew out of them, sprang 
most of the trouble between him and the other religious 
sects. Morton in " New England's Memorial," gave a 
summary of Gorton's religious opinions, which was pub- 
lished during Gorton's life. Gorton wrote to Mr. 
Morton denying some of the charges made against him 
in this book, especially that he had ever asserted that 
there was " no state or condition after death," and says : 
" I appeal to God, the judge of all secrets, that there 
never was such a thought entertained in my heart." He 
further says in answer to another charge : " we never 
called sermons of salvation, tales ; nor any ordinances of 
the Lord, an abomination or vanity ; nor holy ministers, 
necromancers ; we honor, reverence and practice these 
things." In this letter he refers to a book pubHshed by 
Mr. Winslow, which referred also to his sentiments, of 
which Gorton says he had read but little, but was in- 
formed by Mr. Brown, who had been a commissioner for 
the United Colonies, that "he would maintain that 
there were forty lies published in that book." The let- 
ter may be found in the Appendix to Judge Staples' 
edition of Simplicities' Defence. 



INTRODUCTION. 11 



Without attempting to state the religious views of 
Gorton with any degree of precision, it may perhaps be 
safely said that the essential gospel truths, as held by the 
great body of evangelical christians of the present day, 
were those that were held and preached by this somewhat 
singular man. That the difference that existed between 
his opinions, with the exception of those specially noted, 
and those of Williams and others, was rather im- 
aginary than real, and grew out of the peculiar way in 
which he expresssd them, is evident. His published 
works are marvels of curious composition, with sen- 
tences so long and complicated, that it would make a 
school-master's blood run backwards, to analyze and 
parse them. Among these works the reader is referred 
to his " Incorruptible Key," printed in London, in 1647 ; 
"Saltmarsh returned from the Dead," printed in 1655; 
"Antidote against pharasaical Teachers," and "Anti- 
dote against the common Plague of the World ; " ■' Sim- 
plicities Defence against a Seven Headed Church Policy," 
published in England, in 1646. These, with a manu- 
script commentary on the Lord's Prayer, of more than a 
hundred pages, now in possesion of the R. L Historical 
Society, will furnish the curious reader with ample ma- 
terial for studying the religious tenets of the man. His 
*' Simplicities Defence," is an historical narrative of the 
difficulties between the early settlers of this town and 
the colony of Massachusetts, growing out of the attempts 
of the latter to extend its jurisdiction over the lands and 
persons of the former. The account is written in his 
peculiar style, but is regarded as a fair account of the 
origin, progress, and issue of the unhappy controversy. 
Several valuable letters that passed between the parties 
during the time, are included in it, with much of a 
rambling theological character, in which the author de- 
lighted to indulge. The work is dedicated to the Earl 
of Warwick, whose friendly aid was received and duly 
acknowledged, and whom, as we have already stated. 



12 CHURCHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 

the settlers honored by giving his name to their town.* 
Gorton was a man of acknowledged native talent, and 
•with all his literary abstruseness and theological com- 
bativeness, exerted a large and for the most part a 
salutary influence in the community. When his opin- 



* A.S a matter of curiosity, and as indicating Gorton's method of 
thought and style of composition, we give the following title pages to 
two of his works, his "Incorruptible Key," and his "Saltmarsh re- 
turned from the Dead." 

"An Incokrctptible Key, composed of the CX Psalme wherewith 
you may open the Rest of the Holy Scriptures: Turning itself only 
according to ihe Composure and Art of that Lock, of the Closure and 
Science of that Great Mysterie of God manifest in the Flesh, hut jus- 
tified only hy the Spirit which it evidently openeth and revealeth, 
out of Fall and Resurrection, Sin and Righteousuess, Ascension and 
Descension, Height and Depth, First and Last, Beginning and Ending, 
Flesh and Spirit, Wisdom and Foolishness, Strength and Weakness. 
Mortality and Immortality, Jew and Gentile, Light and Darkness, 
Unity and Multiplication, Fruitfulness and Barrenness, Care and 
Blessing, Man and Woman, All Suffering and Deficiency, God and 
Man. And out of every unity made up of twaine, it openeth that 
great two-leafed Gate which is the sole Entrie into the city of God of 
New Jerusalem, inlo ivliieh none hut the Jdnq of Glory can enter : and as 
the Porter openeth the doore of the Sheepfold, by which whosoever 
entereth in, is the Shepherd of the Sheep: See Isa. 45, 1; Psal. 24, 7, 8, 
9, 10: John 10, 1, 2, 3; Or, (according to the signification of the word 
translated Psalme) it is a pruning knife, to lop off from the church of 
Christ all superfluous Twigs of earthly and carnal commandments. 
Leviiical services or Ministry and fading and vanishing Priests or 
Ministers, who are confii-med by Death as holding no correspondency 
with the princely Dignity, OfSce and Ministry of an Melchisedek who 
is the only Ministry of the Sanctuary and of that true Tabernacle 
which the Lord pitcht and not Man. For it supplants the Old Man 
and implants the new: abrogates the Old Testament or Covenant and 
confirms the New into a thousand generations, or in generations for- 
ever By Samuel Gorton, Gent, and at the time of penning hereof, in 
the place of Judicature (upon Aquethneck alias Road Island) of 
Providence Plantations in the Nanhygansett Bay, New England. 
Printed in the yeere 1R17." 

"Saltmaksh Retukned from the Dead, in Amicus Phllalethes : or 
the Resurrection of James the Apostle out of the Grave of Carnal 
Glosses for the correction of the universal Apostacy which cruelly 
hurried him who yet liveth. Appearing in the Comely Ornaments of 
his Fifth Chapter in an exercise, June 5, 1654. Having laid by his 
grave clothes in a despised village remote from England, but wishing 
well and heartily desiring the True Prosperity thereof."— JiacA;«e'5 
Life of Gorton in Spark's Am. Biog. 

That such language may have been perfectly intelligible to Gorton 
himself, we have no disposition to doubt; that it may have conveyed 
more to his contemporaries who Avere acquainted with the circum- 
stances that called it forth, and had become familiar with such forms 
of exjiression, than to us, may be true. That it lacks a little of that 
perspicuity, which in modern times is regarded as an excellence in 
writing or speaking, is quite evident. 



INTRODUCTION. 13 



ions on civil or religious topics were opposed, he showed 
much of that quaUty that might be termed, " otherwise- 
minded ness," and, at times, exhibited a " superfluity of 
naughtiness," but otherwise was of a generous and 
sympathetic nature, and inclined to award to others the 
same liberty of thought and expression which he claimed 
for himself 

We close this account of him with an extract taken 
from the manuscript Itinerar}'^ of Dr. Styles, a former 
clergyman of Newport, i.nd afterwards President of 
Yale College, as given by Judge Staples : 

"At Providence, Nov. 18, 1771, I visited aged Mr. John 
Angell, ae. 80, born, Oct. 18, 1691, a plain, blunt-spoken man; 
right old English frankness. He is not a Quaker, nor Baptist, 
nor a Presbyterian, but a Gortonist, and the only one I have 
seen. Gorton now lives in him, his only disciple left. 
He says he knows of no other and that he is alone. He 
gave me an account of Gorton's disciples, first and last, and 
showed me some of Gorton's jmnted books and some of his 
manuscripts. He said Gorton wrote in heaven and no one can 
understand his writings, but those who live in heaven while 
on earth. He said that Gorton had beat down all outward 
ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper with unanswer- 
able demonstrations. That Gorton preached in London in 
Oliver's time, and had a church and living of £500 a year 
offered him, but he believed no sum would have tempted 
him to take a farthing for preaching. He told me that his 
grandfather, Thomas Angell, came from Salem to Providence 
with Roger Williams, that Gorton did not agree with lioger 
Williams, who was for outward ordinances set up by new 
apostles. I asked if Gorton was a Quaker; as he seemed to 
agree with them in rejecting outward ordinances. He said 
no; and that when George Pox (I think) or one of the first 
Priends came over; he went to Warwick to see Gorton, but was 
a mere babe to Gorton. The Priends had come out of the 
world some ways, but still were in darkness or twilight, but 
that Gorton was far beyond them, he said, high way up to the 
dispensation of light. The Quakers were in no way to be com- 
pared with him; nor any man else can, since the primitive 
times of the church, especially since they came out of Popish 
darkness. He said Gorton was a holy man; wept day and 
night for the sins and blindness of the world ; his e3^es were a 
fountain of tears, and always full of tears — a man full of thought 
and stud}^ — had a long walk out through the trees or woods by 
his house, where he constantly walked morning and evening, 



14 CHURCHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 



and even in the depth of the night, alone by himself, for con- 
templation and the enjoyment of the dispensation of light. 
He was universally beloved by all his neighbors and the Indians, 
who esteemed him not only as a friend, but one high in com- 
munion with God in heaven> and indeed he lived in heaven." 

In preparing tlie following accounts of the churches, 
the author communicated with the pastors or some lead- 
ing members of the several churches now existing in 
the town, inviting them to furnish a brief sketch of their 
respective churches, for publication. In several instances 
the invitation was accepted, and in others the records of 
the churches were kindly placed in his hands to enable 
him to furnish the accounts. He regrets that in a few 
instances, either from a loss of the records or lack of 
interest in the subject, on the part of those to whom 
he applied, he has failed to receive the desired informa- 
tion concerning several. Where the accounts have been 
prepared by others, due acknowledgement has been 
given. In the other cases, where church records have 
been kindly placed in his hands from which to make up 
the accounts, such accounts have received, in each case, 
the approval of some one or more of the leading mem- 
bers of the church, to whom they were submitted before 
publishing : 

OLD BAPTIST CHURCH, OLD WARWICK.* 

This church, which has had for the past thirty years 
merely a nominal existence, is the oldest one in the 
town, having j^robably existed as a branch of the First 
Baptist Church of Providence, nearly or quite a half 
century before it assumed an independent existence. 
The earliest records of the church bear the date of 1741, 
though the origin of the body as a distinct and indepen- 
dent church, must have been as early as 1725. Backus' 
history mentions it in 1730 as then existing. Previous 



* The six principles, or doctrines, held by this church may be found 
in Hebrews vi., 1, 2. 



OLD BAPTIST CHURCH, OLD WARWICK. 15 

to that date, and reaching back to about the time of the 
first settlement of the town, it probably existed as a 
branch of the First Baptist Church of Providence, of 
which several of the oriirinal settlers of the town were 
constituent members. Hence the history of the body 
previous to the organization as a separate church would 
be incorporated with that of the First church of Provi- 
dence. As there are no original records of this latter 
church extant, previous to April, 1775, it is impossible 
to determine the exact status of the body ]3revious to 
that date. In 1730, the church at Old Warwick con- 
sisted of 65 members, under the pastoral care of Elder 
Manasseh Maitin.* Elder Martin having served the 
church as pastor upwards of 30 years, died March 20th, 
1754. He lies buried in the cemetery near the site of 
the Meeting House where he preached. A heavy slab 
half embedded in' the earth, with his name and date of 
death, marks the spot. His widow, who afterwards be- 
c the wife of Elder Charles Holden, lies beside him. 

On the 18th of June, 1744, ( hv. ammett was 
ordained as colleague of Mr. Martin, and seems to have 
extended his labors be3^ond the immediate precincts of 
Old Warwick, gathering many into the church from 
remote regions. He served the old church " upwards of 
six years," according to the inscription upon his tomb- 
stone, dying in the 48th year of his age. He lies buried 
also, in the yard of the old meeting-house. 

On June 16, 1757, Charles Holden was ordained pas- 
tor of the church, and continued to preach until old age 
and its infirmities compelled him to relinquish his post. 
He was ordained in the 62d year of his age, and died 
June 2Cth, 1785, in his ninetieth year. He lies buried 
in a quiet spot, some thirty or forty rods west of the res- 
idence of John Wickes Greene, Esq. Elder Holden 
had a son and also a crandson named Charles. Amonsr 



* See " Tlie Historv of the Genieral or Six Principle Baptists in Europe 
and America," by Elder Iticiiard Knight, puhlislied in 2827. Elder 
Knight was the esteemed and useful pastor of the Scituate cburch. 



16 CHURCHES or WARWICK, R. I. 

his lineal descendants was the late John Holden, of 
Crompton, father of the late Thomas R. Holden, of 
Providence. Previous to the declaration of American 
Independence, it was customary for ministers, following 
the old English custom, to pray for the king in their 
public worship. One Sabbath after the Declaration, 
while the Elder was praying, forgetting for the moment 
the change that had taken jjlace in the political condi- 
tion of the country, he reached the place where the 
usual petition for the king came in, and before he was 
aware he uttered it — " we pray for the king and all in 
authority " — when suddenly checking himself and hesi- 
tating he added with emphasis — Hiving in Rhode Island! " 
The limiting clause of the petition thus forcibly ex- 
pressed, established his patriotism. In his will, Elder 
Holden made provision for the liberation of his several 
slaves. Dimmis was to have her freedom on the de- 
cease of her master, and her youngest son was given her 
until the age of twenty one, when he was to be free. 
His slave Dinah was to be set at liberty at eighteen 
years of age, and Prince, Cato and Morocco, when they 
reached the age of twenty-one, provided they behaved 
properly up to those ages. A small bequest was made 
to each of them in addition to their freedom. 

Benjamin Sheldon was ordained assistant to Elder 
Holden, June 18, 1778, by Elders Holden, J. Wight- 
man, John Gorton and Reuben Hopkins. October 10, 
1782, Abraham Lippitt was ordained as an assistant 
elder in this church, by Elders Nathan Peirce, John 
Gorton* and J. Wightman. About the year 1793, 
Elder Lif pitt removed to the West, and the following 
year the church called Samuel Littlefield to the pastoral 



* Elder John Gorton was the pastor of the church at East Green- 
wich, for many years, and preached in a meeting house that stood not 
far from the shore, but which has been demolished many years. He 
was a descendant of San)uel Gorton, one of the first settlers of the 
town, and the great-grandfather of Mrs. Wm. B. Spencer of Phenix. 
He ofticiated at the marriage of General Nathaniel Greene. An old 
booki)efore me, owned by Mr. Henry W. Greene, the leaves of which 



OLD BAPTIST CHURCH, OLD WARWICK. 



17 



office, and he was ordained February 17, 1794. He 
continued to preach until about 1825, when he had a 
paralytic shock which laid him aside from active life. 

The old meeting-house, a sketch of which is given in 
the engraving, was built by this church at an early date, 
and is probably the earliest one built in this town of 
which any knowledge at present exists. It was taken 
down in the spring of 1830. It was in a ver}' decayed 




THE OLD MEETING HOUSE, OLD WARWICK. 
(From a pencil sketch by Mrs. C. W. Colgrove. ) 

condition when demolished. Its size was about forty 
feet square, with two doors, one on the side facing the 
Conimicut road, a double door, and one fronting Meet- 



are partly of the " Stamp " paper of the times, and bound, in sheep' 
skin, with a brazen clasp, contains the records of 281 marriages, in 
Elder Gorton's writing. The first marri ige, that of Anthony Low and 
Phebe Greene, bears the date of January ], 1754, the last, that of 
George Finney and Hanahretty Matthews, daughter of Caleb Mat- 
thews, May 4, 1792. The Warwick and Coventry Baptist Church was 
organized at the house of Caleb Matthews, October 21, 1805. 



18 CHURCHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 

ing-House road, so called. In the rear was a burying 
ground, owned by the Low family. The building was 
without bell or steeple. Its internal arrangements were 
peculiar : the platform for the preacher was raised some 
two or three feet, with a small desk for the Bible to rest 
upon, and in the rear were seats for the preacher, the 
deacon and the constable. The deacon usually lined oft 
the hymns for the singers. There were three large 
square pews in front of the platform, and their occupants 
were supposed to be entitled to special respect. Other 
pews ranged along tlie sides of the building, with one 
long pew for the deacon's family. The seats for the 
congregation generally, were rude benches. There were 
galleries on two sides of the house with stairways lead- 
ing up to them from the audience room. The whole in- 
terior was open to the roof. Before the old house was 
given up, it had become so dilaj)idated, that the case of 
the Hebrew sanctuary mentioned by David in the 
eighty-fourth psalm Avas repeated — " the sparrow hath 
found a house and the swallow a nest for herself, where 
she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of 
Hosts " — and meetings Avere held in the school-house. 
A farewell service was held in it October 4, 1829, and is 
still remembered by some who were present, and from 
whom the writer has received these items.* Elder Wm. 
Manchester on that day baptized, at a place called the 
"new bridge," Mary Almira and Louisa Waterman. 
It was sold soon after, and a portion of the materials 
worked up into the dwelling-house that now stands 
nearly opposite the residence of John Holden, Esq. 

Their new house, the one now occupied by the Shawo- 
met Baptist Church, was dedicated in 1829, Elder Wm. 
C. Manchester pi'eaching the sermon, from Gen. xxviii. 17. 
The pastor at the time was Eldej' Job Manchester, who 
had been ordained October, 1828. He was from Coven- 
try, and had married a daughter of the late Thomas Staf- 



* John Wlckes Greene, Esq., a former member and clerk of the old 
clutrch, and others . 



OLD BAPTIST CHURCH, OLD WARWICK. 19 

ford, one of their leading members. He is said to have 
been an able minister, and by his liberal and enlightened 
views prepared the way for the future enlargement of 
the church. An extensive revival was enjoyed during 
the year 1829, in which twenty-two persons united with 
the church. In 18 13 he resigned his charge and removed 
to Providence, where he united with the Stewart Street 
Baptist Church. He died August 9th, 1859, aged 75.* 
In 1830, in a letter to the " General Meeting," they re- 
ported fifty-four members. Their prospects from this 
time began to wane, their members were gradually re- 
duced by death and dismission, until dependent upon 
occasional supplies in preaching, they became disheart- 
ened and finally gave up their meetings. They have 
had only a nominal existence for many years. Mr. Daniel 
Arnold, of Crompton, who died last year, left legacies to 
this church, and to those at Crompton and Birch Hill, 
which has brought to light the existence of a few mem- 
bers, who claim to be the church; their names are Benoni 
Lockwood, Aurelia Weaver, Lucy A. Lockwood, and 
Eliza T. Lockwood. 

As there was some doubt existing as to the ownership 
of the land upon which the house was built, the town, at 
a meeting held April 15, 1829, made the following pro- 
vision, viz. : . 

" Whereas certain public spirit Individuals in the Town 
of Warwick, have it in contemplation to erect a Meeting House 
for the worship of Ahnighty God, in that Section of the Town 
usually called Old Warwick, and on Laud near the school house 
which Land is represented to have been originally reserved by 
the proprietors for the purpose of Education and as a tanning 
field; and doubts have arisenWhelherthe Town may not possess 
an Interest in said Land either by Escheat or some other title, 
Kow therefore with the intention of promoting a project so 
Laudable by perfecting the title of the Individuals aforesaid 



* Elder Job Manchester was a skillful mechanic as well as an able 
pastor and preacher. A« early as 1816 he invented a power loom, for 
weaving cotton cloth, and in 1818 made some improvements on the Bed 
Ticfc or Twilled work, looms. He was a practical machinist. See 
Transactions of the R. I. i>ociety for the Encouragement of Domestic 
Industry for 18G4, pp. 61-76. 



20 CHURCHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 



" It is voted, That it shall be the duty of the Treasurer of the 
Town whenever a Meeting House aforesaid shall have been 
erected to Release on the part of the Town all Eight and Title 
to that part of the Lot whereon it may be placed. It being 
understood that the same is lo Include a piece of Ground Eight 
rods square." 



OLD BAPTIST CHURCH AT APPONAUG. 

At a church meeting held at Old Warwick, of which 
Elder Manasseh Martin was pastor, Dec. 6, 1744, Ben- 
jamin Peirce and wife, Ezrikham Peirce and wife, 
Edward Case and wife, John Budlong, and such others as 
wished to form a church at the Fulling Mill, of the same 
faith and order, were granted leave. Several members 
from East Greenwich united with them, and the church 
was duly organized. Benjamin Peirce was ordained 
their minister. They eventually erected a meeting house, 
" on an eminence East of the village of Apponaug which 
commanded an extensive prospect of this village, river, 
islands and surrounding country." It stood nearly oppo- 
site of the present residence of C. R. Hill, Esq. There 
is a tradition that it was built at the suggestion of Elder 
Peter Worden, who in 1758-9 had built a house of 
worship in Coventry, " 28 feet long by 26 feet wide and 
two stories high," and preached in it many years and 
afterwards settled in Apponaug. It is said that this 
house was of the same dimensions as the one in Coventry 
which became known in later times as the Elder Charles 
Stone meeting house, Elder Stone having been the suc- 
cessor of Elder Worden. Mr. Worden was born near 
Westerly, June 6, 1728, and is represented as a man of 
large stature, with a powerful voice, and a useful rather 
than a very intellectual man. After leaving Apponaug, 
he removed to Cheshire, Mass., in 1770, where another 
edition of " 28 by 26" without revisal or improvement 
was erected, and where he continued to hold forth the 
word of life. He died in 1808, in his 80th year. He 
preached in Coventry and Warwick nineteen years. 



OLD BAPTIST CHUECH AT APPONAUG. 21 

The church became involved in difficulty owing to 
some change in the religious sentiments of Elder Pierce, 
and diminished in members and was finally dissolved, 
and " their meeting house went to decay for many years." 
At what precise period this occurred does not appear, 
but it was previous to the revolutionary war. 

Elder Knight, in his history, makes no mention of any 
other pastor than Elder Peirce, in connection with this 
church, and it is probable that the connection of Elder 
Worden was of short duration. Of the subsequent his- 
tory of Elder Peirce the writer has no knowledge. The 
Peirces furnished a number of Elders to the church in 
different places. Elder Nathan Peirce was settled over 
the Rehoboth church many years, and till his death in 
1794. Elders Preserved Peirce and Philip Peirce, 
brothers, were ordained in the same church about the 
year 1800. The latter soon after removed west. 

Soon after the close of the revolutionary war another 
church was organized. The date of the organization 
is given by Elder Knight in one part of his work as 1785, 
and in another as 1792. As we have had no access to 
the original records we are unable to settle the point. 
David Corpe, a member of the East Greenwich church, 
from which the new one was set off, was ordained their 
pastor. They occupied the old house, which was repaired 
and made comfortable. Elder Corpe, becoming advanced 
in years and reduced in pecuniary means, resigned his 
trust and removed to an estate which he held in the 
northwest part of the State. Elder Spooner was his 
successor, having been appointed by the yearly meeting 
to supply them with preaching once a month. The 
tide of prosperity turned against them, and in 1805 the 
church followed the example of its predecessor and l)e 
came extinct. 

The old meeting house, after resounding with the mes- 
sages of the Gospel ftjr many years, finally lost its iden- 
tity more than fifty years ago, and a portion of it may be 
found in a private residence a few rods north of the spot 
where it originally stood. There are a few persons now 

*3 



22 CHURCHES OF WARWICK, E. I. 



living who remember it, as the place where in their 
childhood they were accustomed to assemble on the Sab- 
bath and listen to the lengthy discourses of the early 
preachers. 

THE BETHEL SIX PRINCIPLE BAPTIST CHURCFI. 

This church is a grandchild of the Old Warwick 
Church. The Coventry or " Maple Root " Church * was 
set off from the latter church, May 17, 1744, though the 
latter church does not appear to have been formally or- 
ganized until Oct. 14, 17B2. The church for many 
years and until 1857, was known as the Phenix Branch 
of the Maple Root Church. While sustaining this rela- 
tion to the Maple Root, worship was conducted in the 
Ark Wright school house and the private houses in 
Phenix, until the school house was built in the latter 
place in 1827, when the building was used one Sabbath 
per month until the church built a meeting house. Elder 
Thomas Tillinghast preached many years in the old 
Arkwright school house, and when the Phenix school 
house was built, divided a monthly Sabbath between 
the two school houses. In 1838, they built a meeting- 
house in Phenix, which was the second house built in 
that village for exclusive religious purposes. The build- 
ing committee were Dea. Johnson, Wm. C. Ames and 
Robert Levalley. The house was built by John R. 
Brayton, now of Knightsville, who built the Tatem 
Meeting House previously. The house was about sixty 
feet long, thirty-six wide, with eighteen feet posts, and 
is said to have cost about 13,000. This was a large sum 
in those days, and,as it proved, a lai*ger one than the church 
was able to pay, and the debt incurred resulted in dis- 
aster to the church. After struggling along for many 



* This church is usnally, now, called the^" Maple Root Church." 
Elder Knight, the historian of the denomination, calls it the " May- 
pole" Root Ciiurch, and I am informed by Dea, Andrews, it is so des- 
ignated in the earliest records of the church. 



BETHEL SIX PRINCIPLE BAPTIST CHURCH. 23 

years the church became somewhat divided and weak- 
ened, and their house was sold at public auction to Dr. 
McGreggor for |1,000, who afterwards sold it to Cyrus 
Manchester for $1,100. On Sept. 25, 1851, it was again 
sold to \Vm. B. Spencer, Esq., who finally converted it 
into tenements, for which purpose it is still used. 

The last pastor of the Phenix Branch Church was 
Elder Stephen Thomas, whose denominational senti- 
ments underwent some change, and in the year 1851, he 
closed his labors, and subsequently became pastor of the 
present Baptist Church at Natick. Elder Thomas after- 
wards became pastor at Holme's Hole, now called Vine- 
yard Haven, where he died a few years ago. The church 
was now houseless and pastorless, and continued in an un- 
settled condition until it gathered up its little remaining 
strength about the year ] 857, and made arrangements 
for the building of a new house of worship at Birch Hill. 

In June, 1857, a petition signed by ninety-four per- 
sons, members of the " Maple Root" Church in Coven- 
try, setting forth that they had " for a long time been 
known as the Phenix Branch of said Coventry Church," 
and had now erected a house of worship at Birch Hill, 
was presented to the said Maple Root Church, praying 
that they might be organized into a separate and inde- 
pendent body. Among the petitioners were Elders 
Benjamin B. Cottrell, Henry B. Locke and Nathaniel 
W. Warren. On the third of the following month the 
petition was granted, and on the twenty-sixth of that 
month, they were duly organized as a distinct church. 
Elder Thomas Tillinghast, preached, Ephesians H, 19, 
20, 21. Elders B. B. Cottrell, H. B. Locke and N. W. 
Warner participated in the exercises. At this point the 
records, which have been very well kept by the several 
clerks, begin. 

On Saturday, August 22, 1857, Elder Thomas Til- 
linghast, was chosen pastor, and V/anton A. Whitford, 
clerk. On Oct. 31, 1858, " Elder B. B. Cottrell, Dea. 
Benjamin Essex and W. A. Whitford were appointed 
trustees to receive and hold in trust a deed of a lot of 



24 CHURCHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 



land on Birch Hill in Warwick, appropriated for a meet- 
ing house for said church and denomination." The 
house was regarded by some as too small, and at a meet- 
ing held Jan. 9, 1859, a proposition was made to enlarge 
the " Bethel," by an addition of twelve feet to its length, 
and Dea. Essex, Henry Remington and W. A. Whitford, 
were appointed a committee to make the alterations. 
The funds for making the proposed addition did not 
seem to be forthcoming, and the committee hesitated to 
commence the work of building under the circumstances, 
and on the following October were instructed to make 
the addition " forthwith," on the front of the house. 
The addition was accordingly made and a debt incurred, 
which became a serious obstacle to the prosperity of the 
church. The building had to be mortgaged, and was in 
danger of following in the steps of the previous house 
at Phenix. Faihng to obtain funds by subscription, the 
money was subsequently raised by festivals held about 
ten years ago under the direction of Mrs. Bowen A. 
Sweet, one of the members, the amount of -1675 being 
raised, more than sufficient to clear the house of debt. 

Previous to the year 1860, the covenant meetings were 
held at Arkwright every other month, and the communion 
monthly at the Bethel, subsequently it was voted to hold 
the communion services once in three months at Ark- 
wright. On March 25, 1860, Wanton A. Whitford, 
was ordained as a deacon. Previous to the ordination 
the candidate was questioned as to his religious views, 
and also his views on the subjects of Temperance and 
Slavery. " The wife of the candidate was then called 
upon to express her mind in regard to her becoming a 
Deacon's wife, when she arose and expressed a willing- 
ness to do her duty in that respect." April 28, 1861, 
Henry Remington, a member of the church, was or- 
dained to the gospel ministry, and afterwards became 
assistant pastor. April 16, 1864, Bowen A. Sweet was 
elected church clerk, in which position he has continued 
to the present time. 

At a covenant meeting held August 28, 1804, a letter 



BETHEL SIX PRINCIPLE BAPTIST CHURCH. 25 

was sent to the Association, in which it is stated that 
they had had no pastor since the death of Elder Thomas 
Tillinghast, that the church had been passing through 
severe trials, and giving as their statistics the following: 
Dismissed by letter, 4 ; excluded, 4; dropped, 4 ; dead, 
1; Total, 138. Oct. 23, 1864, Elder Samuel Arnold 
was unanimously elected pastor, and accepted the 
position. 

At a meeting held Jan. 26, 1868, Elder Arnold, upon 
petition of several members of the Bethel Church, re- 
siding in Swansey, read the following resolution, which 
was adopted : " Voted and resolved, that the Brethren 
and Sisters of this church, residing in the State of Mas- 
sachusetts, be set off as a branch of the same, to be 
called the Swansey Branch, together with such others as 
shall become associated with them, with the privilege of 
receiving and dismissing members and holding com- 
munion." Number of members in September, 1874, 115. 

Elder Samuel Arnold still continues the pastor of the 
church, though living in Providence, and preaching at 
the Bethel but once a month. Elder Nathaniel W. 
Warner lived at Natick, where he died August 6th, 
1858. Elder Henry B. Locke died November 10, 1865. 
Elder B. B. Cottrell, also one of the constituent mem- 
bers of this church, is at present the acceptable pastor of 
the Tabernacle Church in Fiskeville. By his efforts a 
Meeting House was built at a cost of about $1,700,' 
which was dedicated July 24th, 1873, and a church 
soon after organized. Dea. Benjamin Essex, who has 
resided in the vicinity for the past twenty-six years, and 
is also one of the constituent members of the church, 
still serves the church as deacon, and continues as prompt 
and punctual in his religious duties, as the " Regulator " 
that hangs in his workshop, and ticks away the time in 
measured beats from year to year. The late Daniel 
Arnold, of Crompton, bequeathed to this church a por- 
tion of his personal property, but the exact amount the 
church will receive is not at present known. 



26 CHURCHES OF WAUWICK, R. I. 



CROMPTON SIX PRINCIPLE BAPTIST CHURCH. 

In the winter of 1841, six persons who subsequently 
united with others in the formation of this church, com- 
menced holding meetings in the old Centreville school- 
house. Their meetings were interesting, and a revival 
soon followed, which resulted in the conversion of about 
thirty persons who were baptized most of them into the 
fellowship of the Maple Root church, in Coventry. 
Elder Heniy B. Locke had come from the southern part 
of the State and united with the Maple Root Church, 
and seems to have been a successful laborer with this 
little band of brethren. Before the middle of April he 
baptized the thirty converts, who united with the Maple 
Root church. April 23, 1842, a petition was presented 
to the Maple Root church, signed by thirty eight per- 
sons, praying to be set off as a Branch Church. The 
prayer was granted, and Elder H. B. Locke was chosen 
pastor, C. A. Carpenter, deacon and William Rice, clerk. 
Elder Locke remained the pastor until November 1843, 
and was followed by Elder William P. Place, who con- 
tinued in office until April 19, 1857, and then re\noved 
to Pennsylvania, remaining there about a year and then 
returned to Rhode Island. 

Soon after the brethren were set off from the mother 
church in (Coventry as a branch, they united their efforts 
to secure a peimanent place for worship. Mrs. Sarah 
Remington, widow of James E. Remington, gave them 
a lot of land consisting of about a quarter of an acre, on 
certain conditions, among which were, that the church 
should build a meeting-house upon it within six months, 
keep it in good repair and use it, or allow it to be used 
only for religious purposes, failing in which, the lot was 
to revert to the grantor, her heirs, assigns, &c. The 
deed, which is dated December 26, 1843, further pro- 
vided " that said house shall be open and free for all 
religious societies, when not occupied by said branch of 



CONGREGATIONATi CHUECH, ElVEE POINT. 27 



the Crornpton Mills Six Principle Baptist Society." 
The house was dedicated September 7th, 1844. The 
church continued as a branch of the Maple Koot, until 
April 10, 1846, when it was formally organized as an 
independent church. On September 6, 1845, it united 
with the yearly Conference. November 28, 18u0, 
WiUiam Rice was ordained as a deacon. 

At the conclusion of Elder Place's labors, Elder Locke 
was recalled to the pastorate, and remained two years, 
when he died. Elder Wilcox preached two Sabbaths a 
month, for several years and until his last sickness. In 
the spring of 1868, Elder EUery Kenyon became pastor, 
and continued until January 16, 1871, when he resigned. 
Sunday May 15, 1870, Wm. R. Johnson was baptized, 
and on the same day was ordained to the ministry, the 
ordination services being conducted by Elders Kenyon, 
Arnold and Wilcox. On March 23, 1871, the church 
unanimously elected Elder Wm. R. Johnson as its pas- 
tor and he continued thus until the present year. The 
church at present is without a pastor, though enjoying 
the preaching of Elder Slocum. 

William Rice, C. A. Carpenter, C. M. Seekell and 
William Price have served the church as deacons ; 
William Rice, E. W. Sweet, John Wood, Sheldon H. 
Tillinghast, Wm. P. Place, as clerks. The present clerk, 
is Eben W. Sweet. The late Daniel Arnold bequeathed 
to this church a ])ortion of his personal property, the 
exact amount of which, has not yet been determined. 



COJSGREGATIONAL CHURCH, RIVER POINT. 

On the 7th of February, 1849, an ecclesiastical 
council convened at the meeting-house, at River 
Point, for the purpose of organizing an Evangelical Con- 
gregational Church. After the usual preliminaries, the 
council voted unanimously in favor of the project, and 
organized the following persons as a church, viz. : John 
L, Smith, Jeremiah K. Aldrich, Brighara C. Deane, 



28 CHURCHES or WARWICK, R. I. 

Mary Greene, Phila B. Deane, Priscilla G. Seagraves, 
Hannah L. Sweet, Lucy Hill, Hannah Hall and Susan 
E. Smith 

Eev. George Uhler at the time of the organization of 
the church, appears to have been preaching in the place, 
and was engaged by the church as its " stated supply," 
although he is spoken of in subsequent records as' the 
pastor of the church. He continued his labors until ill 
health induced him to relinquish his position, June 12, 
1863. On the following June IBth, a call was extended 
to Rev. S. B. Goodenow, at a salary of $700, which was 
accepted, and Mr. Goodenow entered upon his work the 
first Sabbath in December 1853 ,and remained until June 
5, 1856, when he resigned and went to Ulster, N. Y. 
From this time, the church having become somewhat 
Aveakenecl by loss of quite a number of its members, was 
without regular pastoral labor until 1867, with the ex- 
ception of about nine months in 1856, when Rev. Mr. 
Woodbury officiated as a supply. 

Rev. George W. Adams was installed joastor of the 
church, September 30, 1867, and died after a somewhat 
prolonged sickness, December 9, 1862. Mr. Adams was 
a sound theologian and an excellent pastor, and was 
beloved b}^ the church and community. He was a dili- 
gent student and prepared his sermons with much care. 
We remember hearing him say that he had sixty fully 
written sermons that he had never preached. His death 
most deeply afflicted his family. Rev. Mr. Williams, 
who had been supplying the church during the pastor's 
illness, continued to preach until February, when seve- 
ral of the pastors connected with the Rhode Island 
Congregational Association kindly volunteered their ser- 
vices in supplying the pulpit until the last Sabbath in 
April, in order tlmt the salary of the deceased pastor 
might be continued to his bereaved family. 

On Feb. 6, 1864, the church b}^ an unanimous invita- 
tion engaged the Rev. J. K. Aldrich to supply the pulpit 
the following year. This arrangement continued until 
August, 1867, when Mr. Aldrich removed to East 



WARWICK AND COVENTRY CHURCH. 29 



Bri(]gewater, Mass., to assume the pastoral care of the 
Union Congregational Church in that place. Mr. 
Aldrich was during this time, as for several years pre- 
viously, also, Principal of an English and Classical 
School in. the vicinit}''. He was followed by Rev. Lyman 
H. Blake, who received a call from the church Oct. 6, 
1867, and was ordained and installed as pastor on Nov. 
14th, following. Mr. Blake continued the pastor until 
Oct. 3, 1869, when he resigned to assume a pastorate at 
Rowley, Mass. Since then the church has been without 
a settled pastor, though enjoying during most of the 
time the ministrations of the word from various minis- 
ters, as " stated," or occasional supplies. Like nearly all 
churches it has had its seasons of adversit}'" as well as of 
prosperit3^ One hundred and twentj^-five persons have 
had their names enrolled upon its list of membership, 
sixty-two of whom were received on their confession of 
faith in the Redeemer, and the remainder by letters. 
Ten have died while members, two were excommuni- 
cated, and fifty-eight dismissed to unite with other 
churches, leaving the present number (April, 1875) fifty- 
five. John L. Smith and Henry Harris have served the 
church as deacons, and Jeremiah K. Adams, George T. 
Arnold and Thomas M. Holden as clerks. The records 
of this church have been unusually well kept, some of 
its clerks not only recording the ordinary business of the 
church, but also the births, marriages and deaths of those 
connected with it. 

THE WARWICK AND COVENTRY BAPTIST CHURCH.* 

The house of worship connected with this church is 
located in the village of Crompton. The legal title of 
the society, which is composed of such persons as are 
elected from the male members of the church, none 
others being eligible, is, The First Baptist Society of 

* Tlie account of tins church is from a recent discourse of the pastor, 
in couamemoration of the seventieth anniversary of its organization. 



30 CHUKCHES OF WARWICK, E. I. 



Warwick. The society possesses and controls the church 
property. The church is one of the mother churches of 
the town, having formerly embraced within her parish 
boundaries the territory now shared by about a score of 
churches of various orders which she has seen spring up 
around her. For this reason a somewhat extended 
account of her origin and progress may perhaps be 
allowed. 

Three periods may be noticed. The first, extending 
from the organization to the building of the " Tin Top " 
meeting-house in Quidnick, in 1808 ; the second, from 
that event to the building of the meeting-house in Cromp- 
ton, in 1843 ; and the third, from that year to the pre- 
sent time. 

The first period embraces only about two and a half 
years of time, and was of an unsettled, migratory char- 
acter, in \Ahich the church wandered about from place 
to place seel<ing for a permanent home. It commenced 
October 21, 1805, on which date a number of converts 
belonging to East Greenwich, Warwick and North 
Kingstown, met at East Greenwich, at the house of Mr. 
Caleb Mathews, and after due consideration, decided " to 
unite together under the name of the Unittd Brethren 
and Sisters of East Greenwich, Warwick and North 
Kingstown." On the 11th of November following, a 
council consisting of delegates from the First and the 
Second Baptist Churches of Providence, the one at Re- 
hoboth ancl the one at North Kingstown, assembled, and 
after the usual examinations, recognized them as a 
Christian church, with the title of" The Baptist Church 
of East Greenwich, Warwick and North Kingstown." 
Thirty-seven persons, nine of whom were men, composed 
the organization. With the exception of Deacon Shaw 
and his wife, who were received by letter from the First 
Church, Providence, they appear to have been at the 
time but recently converted. Asa Niles, an unordained 
brother, had been preaching in East Greenwich and Cen- 
treville, and revival blessings had followed his earnest 
labors. Quite a number of persons had been converted, 
who afterwards united in the formation of this church. 



WARWICK AND COVENTRY CHURCH. 31 

Though Mr. Niles did not join the new church, and was 
not formally recognized as its pastor, he continued to 
preach for it until the May following, when the care of 
the church was given to Rev. David Curtis. 

Kev. Asa Mies was bora in Braintree, Mass., Feb. 10, 1777. 
While in business in Boston, he attended Dv. Baldwin's church 
and was converted. Being convinced of his duty to jireach the 
gospel, he gave up his business and moved to Beverly, where 
he studied with " Father Williams." Rev. Mr. Williams had 
several students at the time. Having finished his studies, he 
came into Rhode Island as a missionary, and labored at Paw- 
tucket, Pawtuxet, East Greenwich and Centreville. He was 
an earnest, pointed preacher, and the truths that he uttered 
awakened much opposition among " the baser sort," some of 
whom in the villages of Pawtuxet and East Greenwich threat- 
ened him with personal violence. At one time, while he was 
preaching, one of this class threw a stone at him through a 
window, which passed bv his head, striking a woman and 
breaking her arm. Elder Niles kept the stone for about twenty- 
five years. At another time they took his horse, ou which he 
rode to his appointments, and sheared his mane and tail, but it 
does not appear that he preached any less faithfully ou account 
of these persecutions. After leaving this church, he preached 
in Middletown, Conn., four years; Windsor, Vt, four years; 
Salem, Mass., six years; Scituate, Mass., Weare, N. H., Haver- 
hill, Mass., and then went to Aliddleburo, Mass., wliere he died 
April 16, 1849, at the age of 72 years. His mind became im- 
paired at the age of sixty-five, and there was a gradual decay of 
his mental powers until he died. At his funeral there were six 
of his fellow ministers, who bore grateful testimony to his worth 
as a servant of Christ. 

The church worshipped at East Greenwich a portion 
of the time in the Court House and also in an old meet- 
ing-house that has since been destroyed. At Centreville 
they worshipped in the school-house, in the building 
Qow used by Mr. Gould as a wheelwright's shop. This 
building had been erected for both school and religious 
purposes and, was solemnly dedicated to God with 
appropriate services. The Methodists also used it a part 
of the time. It was furnished with a gallery for the 
singers over the entiance, and is remembered gratefully 
by the few remaining individuals who were interested 
worshippers at the time. The larger portion of the 
church residing in the region of Centreville, it was finally 



32 CHURCHES OF WAEWICK, R. I. 

decided to erect a suitable sanctuary where they would 
be better accommodated, and Quidnick being a central 
position, was chosen as the place. In view of this the 
church voted on the 27th of February, 1808, to change 
its name to the Baptist Church ot Warwick and Coventry, 
which it still retains. This closes the lirst period of its 
history. 

The first event of importance in the second period is 
the erection of the new meeting-house, which soon 
became widely known as the " Tin Top," so called from 
the steeple or cupola being covered with tin. Its dimen- 
sions were sixty feet long by forty wide, with a commo- 
dious vestry. Its galleries extended around three sides 
of the building. The building was framed in Provi- 
dence, and rafted down the river and around to Appo- 
naug, and thence drawn by teams to the place of erec- 
tion. It is said to have been raised and completed in 
two months, and cost $3, 300. The land on which it 
stands was given by Mr. Jacob Greene. Probably no 
building ever erected in Kent County ever awakened so 
much interest as this. People living miles away, with 
curiosity excited, came and viewed it with wondering 
delight. Boys from the neighboring villages ran away 
from school, attracted by its glittering tower. Large 
congregations gathered for woD'ship within its walls, and 
the church, with grateful pride, viewed the result of 
their toils and sacrifices. They had assumed, however, 
more pecuniary responsibility than the}^ felt able to bear, 
and, in accordance with the custom of the times, they 
applied for and received of the General Assembly per- 
mission to rc.ise $2,000 by a lottery. (Similar grants 
had been made to other churches. One to St. John's 
Church, Providence, in March 23, 1762, for $1,000 ; 
one for |2,600 to Trinity Church, June 8, 1767, New- 
port ; one to the First Baptist Church, Providence, for 
<£2,000, in June, 1774, and at different dates to various 
other churches.) The plan did not succeed as well as 
was expected. After lingering along for years, the grant 
was sold to " Peirce & Burgess for 1500, and John 



I 



WARWICK AND COVENTRY CHURCH. 33 

Allen was authorized to spend the money in repairing 
the house." The " Tin Top," at this period, occasion- 
ally resounded with the voices of other ministers beside 
that of the pastor, and there are those now living who 
remember hearing Dr. Stephen Gano, the pastor of the 
First Church, Providence ; President Asa Messer, of 
Brown University ; Dr. Benedict, of Pawtucket ; Rev. J. 
Pitman, and others, within its walls. On the 10th of Sep- 
tember, 1810, the church joined the Warren Association. 
The church held their stated Sabbath worship in the 
meeting-house until about 1830. Up to this time various 
places were used for evening worship, and frequently, 
upon the Sabbath, in Crompton. Among the buildings 
used for such purposes was the old " Cotton House," a 
building since removed, which stood just back of the 
Crompton Company's stable, and the old " Weave Shop," 
not far from Deacon Spencer's store, on the opposite side 
of the road. Elder Curtis wrote me before he died that 
he taught an evening school there, as well as" held meet- 
ings, and that many of his pupils were there converted. 
The " Hall " house, that has since been removed farther 
south on the turnpike, opposite the site of the old Cotton 
House, was also used for religious purposes, and other 
buildings as they could be obtained, up to the time when 
the "Store Chamber" was fitted up for a place of 
worship. It is said that the place where the church was 
worshipping, at the time Elder Ross was the pastor, 
" became too straight for the people, and especially so 
for the minister," and larger and better quarters were 
provided in the Store Chamber. This item fixes the 
time at about 1830, when they entered the latter place. 
The church, from this time, held its regular Sabbath 
services in Crompton, instead of Quidnick. The " Tin 
Top " was leased for a time to other worshippers, and 
was finally sold at public auction to Wm. B. Spencer, 
Esq., in trust for the Rhode Island Baptist State Con- 
vention, for the sum of $320. It still remains in posses- 
sion of the Convention, though occupied by the Quidnick 
Baptist Church, which was organized in 1851. 



34 CHURCHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 

Eev. David Curtis, son of William Curtis, was bora in East 
Stoughton, Mass., Feb. 17, 1782. He was educated at Brown 
University, where he graduated in 1808. He was married to 
Khoda Keach, of Smithfield. R. I., June, 1810, by Hev. Dr. 
Gano. His wife was born June 15, 17'JO, and died ISTov. 26, 
1864, at East Stoughton. Elder Curtis died at the same place 
Sept. 12, 1869. There are two sisters of Elder Curlis now 
living. He had thirteen children, two of whom are now living. 
One of his sisters married Rev. George Winchester, a Metho- 
dist clergyman. On February 6, 1819, Elder Curtis took a 
letter from the church and united with that of Pawtuxet. He 
was pastor at the latter place at two different times, and in 
1821-22 was the postmaster. The post office occupied a part 
of the house in which he lived, which is now standing, and is 
the lirst one south of the briJge on the west side of the street. 
He preached about two years at Harwich, Mass., and about the 
same length of time at New Bedford. He then removed to 
Abington, Mass., where he remained about eight years, a part 
of which time he was the pastor of the church there. He then 
removed to Fiskeviile, R. I., and preached about two years, 
also about two years at Chepachet. For the last twenty-five 
years of his life he lived in East Stoughton, preaching as he 
had opportunity to various churches, but without beiuij settled 
as a pastor. On the death of his father he was left with some 
property, from which he derived a comfortable support during 
the latter years of his life. For many years previous to his 
death he made an annual pilgrimage to the scenes of his early 
labors, where he was always welcomed to the pulpit of the 
church and to the homes of the people. 

Elder Curtis was followed in the pastoral office b}'^ Rev. 
Levi Walker, M. D., who united with the church Janu- 
ary 2, 1819, though it appears he had^ preached to the 
church already two years. Business in the village of 
Crompton was in a depressed state, growing out of the 
failure of the manufacturing company, and the church 
found itself less able than usual to support a pastor. I 
find on the records of the church a vote by which they 
agreed to raise for Dr. Walker the sum of fifty doHars 
for the 3'ear. The doctor found it necessary to eke out 
his small salary by exercising his skill in the healing art. 
Though the scriptures declare that man shall not live by 
bread alone, they do not ignore the fact that some bread 
is necessary. Mr. Walker remained the pastor until 
December, 1819, and then took a letter and united with 



WARWICK AND COVENTRY CHURCH. 35 

the church at Preston, Conn., where he became the 
pastor. 

Dr. Walker was bora in 1784. His childhood was spent in 
Livermore, Maine. He experienced religion about the year 
180-1, and was for about tv\e'.ve years a zealous Methodist 
preacher. His views on the subject of baptism underwent a 
change, and he united with the Baptist Church in Fall Iliver, 
then under the pastoral care of Elder Borden. In 1807 he 
married Phebe Burroughs, a daughter cf Elder Peleg Bur- 
roughs, pastor of the Free Will Baptist Church, in Tiverton, 
E. I. Dr. Walker preached in Fall River, New Bedford and 
Edgartown ijrevious to his settlement over this church. After 
leaving Preston, Conn., he removed to North Stonington, 
where he continued to preach and practice medicine until 
about the time of his death. He died in Winstead, Conn , at 
the age of 87. " As a preacher he was clear, logical and con- 
vincing, rising at times to points of highest excellence, both in 
matter and manner." He possessed considerable skill as a 
physician. He had three sons who entered the ministry, viz. : 
Eev. VV. C. Walker, now State Missionary in Connecticut; 
Rev. Levi Walker, Jr., deceased, and Rev. O. T. Walker, for 
several years pastor of Bowdoin Square Church, Boston, now 
pastor of the Third Baptist Church, Providence. 

The third pastor, Rev. Jonathan Wilson, received a 
call from the church to the pastorate April 5, 1823, 
which he accepted, and united with the church June 8th 
following, and remained until February 19, 1830. Dur- 
ing this period a slight difficulty arose, occasioned by a 
portion of the church desiring to have a young brother 
whom the church had licensed, preach half the time and 
Mr. Wilson the other half. Mr. Wilson went off to the 
southern part of the State and preached about six 
months, the Rev. Seth Ewer, an agent of the State Co-n- 
vention, preaching in the meantime. He then returned 
and resumed his labors to the above date. Elder Wilson 
is spoken of as an able preacher, but was not thoroughly 
established in his religious sentiments. He went west 
and became a Millerite. As late as 1847 he returned ro 
the east, and preached a few weeks in Providence, with 
the expectation of being soon translated to heaven. It 
is said he carried his ascension robes with him in his 
preaching journeys. About this time he made a visit to 



36 CHURCHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 



Centreville, calling on John Allen, who, doubtless, 
scratched his elbow, but refused to be converted to the 
views of his former pastor. His subsequent history is 
unknown. 

The fourth pastor was Rev. Arthur A. Ross, who 
united with the church July 4, 1830, and closed his 
labors December 18, 1834. The parsonage house was 
built by Henry Hamilton for John Allen, in 1831, who 
afterwards gave it to the church. 

Elder Eoss was born in Connecticut, October, 1790. Mr. 
Boss' first settlement was in Thompson, Conn., in 1819, where 
he remained four years. He was pastor successively at Che- 
patchet, one or two years; Fall Kiver, Mass., three yeai-s; Bris- 
tol, Warwick and Coventry Church, First Church, Newport, 
seven years; Lonsdale, two years; Natick, and the Second, or 
High Street Church, at Pawtucket, the latter place about two 
3'^ears. He died in Pawtucket, June 16, 1864, in his seventy- 
fourth year, and was buried in the cemetery of his wife's rela- 
tives near Cumberland Hill. During his. ministry he baptised 
over 1400 persons. He was a laborious and successful pastor, a 
plain, outspoken preacher. "While pastor at ^^"ewport he pub- 
lished a discourse, " Embracing the Civil and Eeligious History 
of Rhode Island," from the- first settlement of the island to the 
close of the second century. 

The fifth pastor. Rev. Thomas Dowling, united with 
the church June 5, 1836 ; closed his labors August, 1840. 

Mr. Dowling was born in Brighton, Sussex county, England, 
April 2, 1809. He is a brother of Rev. John Dowling, D. D., 
of New York. Baptised by Rev. Charles Carpenter, pastor of 
the Baptist Church, S>)mer"s Town, London; was licensed to 
preach in October, 1830, and labored as a local preacher in 
London and vicinity uulil September, 18.33, when he sailed for 
this country. Was ordained as pastor of the Baptist Church 
in Catskill, N. Y., January 14, lb34; become pastor at Tru- 
mansburg, K. Y., January 1, 18-".5, from which place he came 
to this church. From here he went to the Third Church in 
North Stonington, Conn., and has continued to labor in that 
State ever since, (with the exception of two years at Agawam, 
Mass.,) having been settled as pastor at Willimantic. Central, 
Thompson, Tolland, and other places. In 1873 he resumed the 
pastorate at Tolland, where he now resides. 

Mr. Dowling probably closed his labors as pastor a 
short time previous to his taking a letter from the 



WARWICK AND COV-ENTRY CHURCH. 37 

church, as during the interval preceding the settlement 
of the next pastor, Rev. Dr. D. W. Phillips, now Presi- 
dent of the Nashville Institute, in Tennessee, but then a 
student of Brown University, supplied the church for 
about six months, preaching at the Tin Top and the 
Store Chamber. Dr. Phillips recently revisited the 
scene of his early labors, and preached for the church on 
the second Sabbath of June of the ju'esent year, receiving 
a contribution from the church and Sabbath school of 
172 00 for the work in which he is engaged. 

The sixth pastor was Rev. Thomas Wilkes, who united 
with the church November 8, 1840 ; closed his labors 
August, 1842. 

Mr. Wilkes subsequently removed to the city of N'ew York, 
where he ministered to a congregation of Swedenborgians. His 
ministry there appenrs to have been of short duration. The 
three principal members of his congregation, from whom he 
received his i:)riucipal pecuniary support, it is said, failed him; 
one died, another failed in business, and the third removed 
from the city. Of his subsequent history I have no knowledge. 

January 16, 1842, six persons were dismissed to unite 
with others at Phenix to form a new Baptist church, 
and the pastors and three delegates were appointed to 
attend the council to be held there on the 20th of that 
month. 

As we look over the records to learn what measure of 
prosperity attended the efforts of the church during this 
second period of its history, we conclude that God blest 
their efforts abundantly. There were special seasons of 
refreshing, to which we shall refer hereafter, and seasons 
of spiritual drought ; times when they were led to 
rejoice, and others when they were in heaviness. Up to 
this time the church had a large field to cultivate com- 
pared with its present limited one. Previous to 1840 
there was no other church of the same order in any of 
the villages about us. Since then the churches at 
Phenix, Natick, Coventry Central, the present Quidnick 
Church, and the one at Old Warwick, have all been 
organized. The population was, also, almost entirely 
native, where now it is so largely foreign. 



38 CHUBCHES OF WARWICK, K. I. 

The third and last period of its history, extending from 
1843 to the present time, is more generally known, and 
will he considered briefly. 

On February 21, 1813, a special church meeting was 
held in Centreville, but at what house the record does 
not indicate. At this meeting among those present, now 
living among us, and as interested in the present progress 
of the church now as at that time, were Bro. Albert H. 
Arnold and Deacon Alfred Dawley. " Bro. John Allen 
made a proposition to the church that he would build a 
meeting house for them on condition that the church 
would build a vestry to place the house upon." The 
-church voted to accept the offer. An agreement Avas 
then made as follows, Bro. Allen agreed to build a house 
of wood, " 40 by 50 feet, paint and furnish the same in 
modern style excepting cushions and lamps." The 
church agreed to purchase a lot and build a vestry in a 
style to correspond with the house, furnish it with cush- 
ions, lamps, bell, furnace, and also to fence the lot. The 
agreement was faithfully carried out, and the house in 
due time solemnly dedicated to God. The lot cost <f 400 ; 
f 1400 further were expended by the church ; Bro. Allen 
expended $2300, making the total cost $4100. 

The dedication was a season of great joy to the church. 
Rev. John Dowling, then pastor of the Pine Street 
Church, Providence, preached the sermon ; Rev. Edward 
K. Fuller, pastor, Rev. J. Brayton and others partici- 
pated in the services. Thiity-five years had now ehapsed 
since their first sanctuary, the Tin Top, was dedicated, 
and now a second temple had been raised and set apart 
to the same service. As the church reviewed her history 
she had abundant reason to thank God and take courage. 

John Allen, to whom the church was indebted so much from 
the time of its organization, was one of the constituent mem- 
bers of the church, and for " nearly thirty years" its clerk. 
Reference has been made to him in connection with the ac- 
count of the village of Centreville. He died July 26, 1845. His 
painted portrait is in possession of Mrs. Alexander Allen, of 
Centreville. He gave the church also the parsonage house and 
lot, and bequeathed on the death of his widow, the lot of land 



WARWICK AND COVENTRY CHURCH. 39 



on the north of it. The following is an extract from his last 
will devising this land : 

" I give and devise to the First Baptist Society in Warwick, 
the lot of land north of the Parsonage after my wife's decease, 
the s;ime to be held and possessed by said society, their suc- 
cessors forever, for the use of the i)astor of the Warwick and 
Coventry Baptist Church, in addition to his salary, reserving a 
passage way lo my burial lot." 

Mr.^ Allen in his will devised the lot of land now called Point 
Pleasant Cemetery, ()p[)osite the Baptist Parsonage, and his 
farm of about eighty acres in West Greenwich, to the American 
Tract Society; six shares in the Warwick Manufacturing Co., and 
thirty-live shares in the I'rovidence and Pawcatnck Turnpike 
Co., with several acres of land south of the Baptist paisonage, 
to the Missionary Union; ten shares in the City Bank, Provi- 
dence, for the support of a missionary in China; two shares in 
the Warwick Manufacturing Co., liftj'-three shares in the Cen- 
treville Bank, and sixteen shares in the Bank of Kent, Coventry, 
for Home Missions; to the R. I. Baptist State Conv^^^ntion, thirty- 
four shares in the Hank of Kent, Coveniry, and thirty -seven 
pews in the "Tin Top" nuM^iiug house, and twenty-five 
shares in the Centrcvillc Bank, to the American and Foreign 
Bible Society — ail these bequests to be paid after the death of 
his wife. 

The seventh pastor was Rev. Edward K. Fuller, who 
united with the church August, 1843 ; closed his labors 
April 15, 1846. 

Mr Fuller was licensed to preach I'y the Second Baj'tist 
Church, Providence, June, 18.'G. Ordained by the " Indepen- 
dent" Baptist Church, Pawtucket, (now High street) April 4, 
1838, whtre he remained three years. Was two 3'ears General 
Agent of the R. I. Sunday School Union. After leaving here 
he was pastor at Somerset, Medford, Reading, in Mas^achu- 
setts. South Providence, New York City, Xew London and Ja- 
maica, L. I. Now laboring as an Evangelist. Residence, Prov- 
idence, R. I. 

Tlie eighth pastor was Rev. George A. Willard. who united 
with the cliurch May 1, 1847; closed his labors July 1st, 1850. 
Mr. Willard was born in Lancaster, Mass., in 1810; orclained 
August 2t», 184."5, at Cummiugton, Mass., where he pi'eached 
until 1847. He was pastor at Old Warwick from 1850 to 1859; 
He opened there a Family Boarding Scho.M for Boys, which he 
kept until l8t)7, priaching as he had opportunit}^ at Natick and 
otlier places; was for s.^me time Town Suprrinteudent of Public 
Hcho^is. He is at present a pastor at AslifieUl, Mass. 

The ninth pastor was Rev. Jonathan Brayton, who 



40 CHURCHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 



commenced preaching to the church Aug. 25, 1850 ; 
closed his labors January 1st, 1854. 

The tenth pastor was Rev. L. W. Wheeler, who 
preached about a year. Mr. Wheeler has recently set- 
tled as pastor of the Baptist Church in Jefferson, N. H., 
having removed from Lyme Centre, of the same state. 
A letter forwarded to him failed of a response. The 
church after Mr. Wheeler left was destitute of a pastor 
for a year or more, when Mr. Brayton was recalled and 
conmienced laboring April 1, 1857, and continued until 
ill health compelled him to relinquish his charge in Jan- 
uary, 1859. Pie however continued to preach occasionally 
being assisted during the remainder of the year by Mr. 
C. C. Burrows, a student of Brown University. 

Revt Jonathan Brayton was born at Cranston, June 12, 1811. 
Baptized at Knightsville, when about sixteen years old, by 
Elder Pardi'n Tiiliughast. At eighteen years of age he went 
to Providence to leain the caipeniei's liade, where wiih a few 
others, he united in the oiganization of a Six Principle Baptist 
church, now known as the Boger Williams Church. Assisted 
in building a meeting-house for the church (which was subse- 
quently burnt. ) While at woi'k on the inside of the steeple, he 
accidentally fell a distance of sixty feet, striking on the staying 
on the way down, breaking his leir and otherwise injuring him, 
and was taken up insensible. This concluded his carpentering 
work and changed entirely his course of life. His thoughts 
were now turned to study and a pi eparation for the ministry. 
Taught school three years in rail iiiver, jireaching dming a 
pait of the time at Tiveiton, and then went to Hamilton Uni- 
versiiy and took the Theological Course, preaching to the 
neiiihboiing churches during the time. Here he was ordained 
by the Faculty. Came east and began preaching in Phenix, in 
18U-2, his labors resulting in the formation of the Baptist 
church in that village. Dutiug the winter and spring 119 were 
baptized; for about two years of his stay at Phenix he preached 
monihly at Natick. and often at Piskeville. For several years 
on account of illness did not jn-each. In 1S51, preached at 
Quidnick and assisted in oriianizing a chuich, preaching 
half the day at Crompton for upwaids of three }eais. At the 
conclusion of his labois at Quidnick. went to High Strett 
Church, Pawtucket, and labored a year and a half, when he 
returned to Crompton Church. 

In 1858-9 the meetinghouse was thoroughly repaired, 
the galleries cut down, new pulpit put in, &c. 



WARWICK AND COVENTRY CHURCH. 41 



The present pastor, Oliver Payson Fuller, was called 
by the church December, 1859 ; commeuced labor Jan- 
uary, 1860 ; united with the church March 4th, by letter 
from the church in Canton, Massachusetts, by which he 
was licensed ; ordained March 7, and continues to preach, 
qiialis ah incepto. 

Mrs. Audrey S. Briggs, widow of the late James 
Briggs, died July 27, 1878. In her will, she bequeathed 
the sum of #50 to the church. Both she and her hus- 
band united with the church January 7, 1857, and were 
devoted members until their death. 

In 1866, further changes and improvements were 
made in the meeting house ; the ante-rooms were parti- 
tioned off, the orchestra window put in, and a new 
Mason & Hamlin organ, costing $125 was given by Gen. 
James Waterhouse. In 1873, the house was again repaired, 
the interior handsomely frescoed, &c., the whole costing 
about $1,200. 

Christopher C. Burrows, a member of the church was 
ordained to the work of the ministr}'- July 13, 1863, 
while a member of Brown University, but did not enter 
upon a pastorate until 1869, when he settled at Davis- 
ville, in this State. 

Mr. Burrows was born at Busty, Chautauque County, N". Y., 
April 23, 1825. While at Davisville, he baptized 112 persons. 
He resigned his charge at Davisville, in 1873, to take charge of 
the Broadway, Baptist Church, Providence. He is settled at 
the present time in Lynn, Mass. 

The following persons have been licensed by the church: 
Samuel Greene, November 20, 1818 ; Charles Weaver, 
March 24, 1828 ; Henry Clark, Feb. 25, 1832 ; Thomas 
Tew, Apiil 11, 1837 ; ' William Lawless, December 29, 
1845. 

Samuel Greene never settled as a pastor. He died a few 
years ago at an advanced age. in Coventry. 

Charles Weaver was born in Coventry, April 11, 1803; bap- 
tized in Washington Village, February, 1823. Married Diana 
North up, June, 1823; commenced preaching at Anthony Vil- 
lage, February 10, 1828: organized a Sabbath School at the 
"Tin Top'' June 1st, 1828; ordained at Fiskeville, April 16, 

5 



42 CHURCHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 



1829; left Fiskeville, in 1833, and was pastor successively at 
Plainfield, three years, Yoluntown, six years, Suffield, four 
years, Norwich, four years, Noank, eleven years and Volun- 
town, the second lime, from 1871 to the present time. In an 
interesting letter dated April 13, 1875, Mr. Weaver says he has 
baptized 1000 converts, and has " been preaching forty-seven 
years, and have never seen a single Sabbath that I was not able 
to preach." 

Henry Clark was born in Canterbury, Ct., November 12, 
ISIO. He commenced teaching in Centreville in 1829, boarding 
in the family of John Allen. In the summer of 1830 he was 
baptized by Elder Koss, and united with this church. His first 
attempt to preach was in the " Store Chamber" on the day 
that he was licensed to preach. In 1834, he married Mary 
Dorrance of Anthony Village, who is still living, though their 
children, seven in number, have all died. He studied at the 
Hamilton Literary and Theological Institution. He was or- 
dained pastor of the church at Seekonk, Mass., in June, 1834, 
and remained three years; was pastor successively in Taunton, 
for two and a half years from 1837; Canton, Mass., in 1840 to 
1842; Randolph, 1842 to 1846, when his health tailing, he relin- 
quished the pastorate until 1870, when he became pastor at 
Kenosha, Wisconsin. In 1872, he settled over the church at 
Pewaukee, same State, remaining two years, when he returned 
to his former charge in the city of Kenoslaa, where he still 
remains. During his .ministry he has baptized about 300 
persons. 

Thomas Tew, licensed as above, preached for a while 
in different places, and became the agent of the Rhode 
Island Temperance Organization. A letter of inquiry 
respecting him, addressed to his son, failed of a reply. 

William Lawless, though a member of the church 
never lived here. His residence being in Bristol, where 
he died a few years ago. He was never ordained but 
continued to exercise his gifts in public as he had oppor- 
tunity. 

The following persons have served the church as dea- 
cons: Alexander Shaw, Palmer Tanner, Caleb Ladd, 
Ephraim Martin, Warren Rice, James Tilley, Edwin 
Miller, Thomas Tilley, N. T. Allen, Jesse Brown, Ira 
Stillman. Pardon Spencer, Alfred Dawley, Asa Cran- 
dall. The last three are the present worthy deacons. 

N. T. Allen was dismissed by letter to unite with thePhenix 
church soon after its organization, and from which he received 



WARWICK AND COVENTRY CHURCH. 43 

a license to preach. He was ordained at VVaterford, Conn. 
August 1S46; was pastor successively, at Groton, six years, 
Natick, two years, Jewett City, twelve years. He then returned 
to Groton where he laas been settled the past six years. 

The following persons have served the church as 
clerks ; Barnabas Greene, John Allen, Whipple A. Ar- 
nold, William Brown, Robert Bennett, Pardon Spencer, 
and Charles T. Carpenter. 

The records fail to give the names of those who have 
served as treasurers. Among those of the past twenty 
years, are Dea. Pardon Spencer, John J. Wood, Deacon 
Alfred Dawley, Peleg Brown, Amos Johnson, James E. 
Whitford, and Gideon B. Whitford. 

!N early seventy years have elapsed since the organiza- 
tion of the church. The fathers and mothers have all 
departed, but the great truths of the gospel which taught 
them how to live and how to die, remain the same for 
the instruction of their successors. The word of the 
Lord endures forever. In looking over the records I, 
find that there has been at least twenty years in the his- 
tory of this church when at least fifteen persons per year 
have been added to its number; six years in which not 
less than forty per year were added ; three years when 
not less than eighty per year were added, and one year 
when ninety-three were added. The whole number 
added during the whole time has been about eight hun- 
dred and forty-five, one hundred and one of whom have 
united during the present pastorate, upwards of seventy 
of them being by baptism. The present number is one 
hundred and ten. 

The following is a brief account of the Sabbath School 
connected with the Warwick and Coventry Baptist 
Church : 

The earliest item that I have been able to find of an authentic 
character respecting the Sabbath School connected with this 
church, is that furnished by Miss Abby Sweet, a lady now in 
her 77th year, who says she attended a Sabbath School in the 
old Aveave shop, when she was about thirteen years of a;:e, or 
in the year 1811. The school she says was conducted by James 
Smith, a man from Connecticut. In the winter of 1816-17, 
Major Jonathan Tiffany, who was then the agent or manager 



44 CHURCHES OF WARWICK, K. I. 



of the mills in Crompton, then called the Stone Factory, rep- 
resented to Mr. Obadiab. Brown, of Providence, the religious 
needs of the place. Mr. Brown gave a dozen bibles, and two 
dozen testaments for the use of a Sabbath School which was 
then in progress. Deacon Shaw was superintendent of the 
school. It was held in the old weave shop and subsequently in 
the " Hall" house. For several years after Deacon Shaw left, 
there was no school, and onl}^ at irregular intervals until the 
summer of 1827, when James Greene became the superinten- 
dent, and continued the school through the summer and per- 
haps, the following summer. It does not appear that the 
school continued through the winter seasons until it found 
quarters in the " Store Chamber," in the year 1830, when there 
were facilities for warming the room comfortably. On the 
evening of May 2olh, 1830, a meeting was held, which adopted 
the following preamble and constitution: 

" "Whereas, we the subscribers being desirous of improving 
the morals of the children and youth in our village, and of 
affording them the means of such instruction as is consistent 
with the sacredness of the Christian Sabbath; and believing 
that Sabbath Schools are eminently calculated to effect these 
objects, we unite in a society and agree to adopt the following 

CONSTITUTION. 

Article 1. This society shall be called the Crompton 
Mills Female Sabbath School Society in Warwick, auxiliary to 
the Rhode Island Sunday School Union. 

Art. 2. Any person may become a member of this society 
by signing the constitution and paying 12^ cents per quarter. 

Art. 3. There shall be a President, Secretary and Treasurer 
and board of Directors." 

The remaining articles prescribe the duties of the officers, 
and the appointment of a Superintendent and teachers, who 
were to have the immediate oversight of the school. 

The quarterly payments were exacted of those who became 
members of the society. The Sabbath School was free to all. 
In some places, in the early history of the Sabbath School 
work, the teachers were paid as in the week day schools, but it 
does not appear that any were thus paid in connection with this 
school. 

To this constitution were appended the names of seventy-five 
persons, of whom Crawford Titus, John J. Woo 1, James Tilley, 
Silas Ciapp, John Spencer, Jr., George A. Bailey, Pardon 
Spencer, Jonathan L. Pierce, Jeremiah Randall and Jonathan 
Steadman, were the first ten. On the evening of May 26, 
Crawford Titus, acting as moderator. Pardon Spencer was 
chosen president, for the ensuing year; John J. Wood, treas- 
urer; Leonard Loveland, superintendent ; Washington Wilkin- 



WARWICK AND COVENTEY CHURCH. 



46 



son and James Tilley, a Board of Directors. On June 5th, 
1830, a series of rules for the government of the school were 
adopted.* 

At a special meeting held August 16, 1830, Crawford Titus, 
John Spencer, Jonathan Smith, Philip Brayton, Mrs. Titus, 
Mrs. Remington, Mrs. Whitman, Mrs. Cook, Mrs. Clapp, Mrs. 
Smith, Miss Lydia Smith, Mrs. Higgins, Mrs. Wood, Mrs. 
Pearce, were appointed a committee to examine the school. 
Crawford Titus was appointed Librarian. Elder Eoss was 
requested, by vote, to deliver an address to the school the fol- 



* As these rules are somewhat unique in character we give them in 
full. 

" Rule 1. The duty of the Superintendent shall be to see that each 
scholar is m the right class; also to see that there is a teacher to each 
class; to take the name of each scholar and enter it on his bocfk: also 
to record the names of the best scholars which the teachers may report 
to him ; and also to see that a chapter is read from the scriptures at 
the opening of the school, and that it is closed with prayer. 

2. It shall be the duty of the teachers of the Testament classes to 
hear the recitations, and attend to reading in the Testament twice; in 
spelling twice, and spell out of the book once. The remaining time 
until the close of the school shall be improved in reading, spelling, 
conversation, or any instruction the teacher shall find necessary for 
the improvement ot the scholars. 

3. Classes reading in the Spelling Book shall read and spell the same 
number of times as the Testament classes; remaining time to be im- 
proved in the same manner. 

4. Any scholar behaving in an unbecoming manner, the teacher 
shall report him to the Superintendent and he shall put him in the had 
scholars' class. 

5. If by disobedience they continua in the bad scholars' class four 
Sabbaths,' the Superintendent shall report them to their parents. 

6. If such scholar or scholars attend the school the next Sabbath 
after being reported to their parents and behave themselves properly 
for the day, they shall be received into their former class ; if not, at the 
close of the school, such scholar or scholars shall be dismissed from 
the school until they will become obedient to its rules. 

7. The teachers of those classes which have the privilege of taking 
books from the library, shall report to the Superintendent those schol- 
ars who merit books. 

8. Those scholars that attend the school more than nine Sabbaths 
in a quarter shall be rewarded according to the number of Sabbaths 
they attend. 

9. It shall be the duty of each teacher every Sabbath to endeavor 
to impress upon the minds of the scholars the importance of obedience 
to their parents and teachers, of constant and early attendance at 
school, and good behavior in and out of school, of getting their lessons 
well and keeping the Sabbath day holy; of not indulging in profane 
language and lying, nor in any of the vices which j^outh are exposed 
to ; using such arguments to enforce their instructions as are suited to 
the capacity of their scholars. 

10. It shall be the duty of the Superintendent to read, or cause to be 
read, these rules at the opening of the school every second Sabbath." 



46 CHURCHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 



lowing Sabbath. April 9, 1831, Pardon Spencer was re-elected 
President, Leonard Loveland and Sanford Durfee superin- 
tendents; Crawford Titus librarian. At tliis meeting the 
admission fee was reduced to twenty-five cents per year, and 
at the annual meeting the following year the teachers were 
admitted free. Mr. Durfee continued in the office of superin- 
tendent until the year 1848, and was followed by Mr. Jesse 
Brown for a year or two 5 when Dea. Pardon Spencer was 
elected, and continued in office until the spring of 1871, since 
which time Rev. J. Brayton has filled the office. The other 
officers at present are Charles M. Seekell, assistant superin- 
tendent; Charles T. Carpenter, secretary; Job Spencer, treas- 
urer, and John Northup, librarian. 



NATICK FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH. 

The church was organized on the 23d of November, 
1839, and was composed of sixteen persons of regular 
Baptist Churches, residing in the village and its vicinity. 
Alanson Wood was appointed deacon, and Fayette 
Barrows, clerk. On the 25th of December, following, a 
council, composed of delegates fiom the First, Second, 
Third and Fourth Churches of Providence, the Paw- 
tucket, the Warwick and Coventry, the Arkwright and 
Fiskeville, and the Quidnesett, assembled and after the 
usual examination, publicly recognized the body as the 
Natick First Baptist Church. 

The first members received by the new church were 
Pardon Spencer and his wife, Sybil Spencer who were 
received Jan. 26, 1840, by letter from the Exeter Bap- 
tist Church, the hand of fellowship being given by Rev. 
S. S. Mallory. The first member received by baptism 
was sister S. Thornton, who was baptized by Rev. 
Thomas Tew, May 24, 1840. The church was received 
into the Warren Association, Sept. 9, 1840. On Nov. 
16, of this year, Rev. Arthur A. Ross accepted the invi- 
tation of the church to become its pastor, " while he 
continues in this village." Th® pastorate of Mr. Ross 
appears to have been of short duration, as on Feb. 18, 
1841, the church appointed " a committee to supply the 
pulpit" At the same meeting, George K. Clark was 



NATICK FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH. 47 

appointed a deacon. On June 25, 1841, Smith W. 
Pearce was elected clerk, and served in that capacity 
until he was appointed deacon, Dec. 25, 1847. April 
14, 1842, Samuel Peterman was appointed deacon in 
place of Deacon Wood, who had removed from the vil- 
lage. The year, 1842, was a prosperous year to the 
church, during which time a large number united with 
the church, among them some who continued many 
years to be the faithful burden bearers of the church. 
On March 20, 1843, the church invited Rev. Jonathan 
Bray ton to the pastorate of the church ; Mr. Bray ton 
accepted and continued in this relation until June 23, 1844. 
He was also pastor at the same time of the Phenix 
Church. 

On April 25, 1847, Rev. Arthur A. Ross was again 
called to the pastorate of the church. In June, 1849, 
Moses Whitman was appointed the Trustee of the Re- 
hef Fund. This fund was raised by voluntary contri- 
butions, for the relief of the poor connected with the 
church. On December 4th, 1851, Rev. Stephen Thomas, 
who had previously been connected with. the Six Princi- 
l)le Baptists, and had changed his views to those held by 
this church, was invited to assume the pastoral care of 
the church. Mr. Thomas accepted the invitation and 
was publicly installed as pastor, June 2d, 1852. He 
continued to preach until Rev. N. T. Allen commenced 
his labors. Mr. Allen became pastor January, 1855, 
having preached for the church several months previous 
to that date. He resigned Nov. 4, 1855. 

Rev. A. Sherwin was publicly recognized as pastor of 
the church, July 2, 1856, and remained one year, when 
he resigned and became pastor of the High Street Bap- 
tist Church at Pawtucket. For about six months fol- 
lowing the resignation of Mr. Sherwin, Rev. O. P. 
Fuller, then a student of Brown University, supplied the 
church, and until the Rev. Geo. Mathews commenced 
his labors. The closing part of the year 1857, was the 
year of the general revival throughout the country, and 
this church shared in the spiritual blessings, forty-one 



48 



CHURCHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 



persons nniting with the church by baptism. Mr, 
Mathews accepted the pastoral care of the church, March 
30, 1858, and resigned April 9, 1859. 

From this time until the fall of 1863, the church was 
supplied by different persons, chiefly by Rev. Harris 
Howard, who finally left to accept a commission as chap- 
lain in the army. Rev. George L. Putnam was called 
to the pastorate Nov. 7, 1863, commencing his labors as 
pastor in the December following, and closed in the 
autumn of 1865. On Sept. 22, 1866, Rev. J. H. Tilton 
was invited to become pastor, and commenced Nov. 18, 
1866, closing June 13, 1869. He was followed by Rev. 
Charles L. Frost on July 4, 1869, who continued to 
preach until July 4, 1875. His wife, Henrietta 
Frost, died March 6, 1873. The present pastor, Rev. 
Warren S. Emery, was invited by the church to assume 
its pastoral care, August 24, 1875. 

The following persons have served the church as dea- 
cons, viz. : Alanson Wood, George K. Clark, Christopher 
S. Warner, Smith W. Pearce, Henry A. Bowen, George 
W. Harrington, Moses Wightman and S. H. Tillinghast. 

The following persons have served as clerks, viz. : 
Fayette Barrows, Smith W. Pearce, John D. Spink, 
John W. Money, Henry A. Bowen, Wra. H. Potter and 
Byron D. Remington. 

On December 27, 1847, the church licensed Deacon 
George K. Clark to preach the gospel. On January 12, 
1871, the church met with a severe loss, in the death of 
George W. Harrington, who had served the church as a 
deacon since his appointment, May 2, 1859. Deacon 
Harrington was a warm-hearted, sincere christian man, 
and is held in giateful remembrance. Early in the pre- 
sent year the church met with a still severer loss, in the 
death of Deacon Moses Wightman, who had been con- 
nected with the church since 1842. The following ap- 
preciative lines are taken from the " Watchman and 
Rejiector^'' published a short time after his death : — 

"In "Warwick, R. I., Jauuarj 15, 1875, Deacon Moses 
Wightman, in the 63th year of his age. Brother Wightman, at 



SHAWOMET BAPTIST CHURCH. 49 



the time of his death, had been a respected and beloved mem- 
ber of the Baptist Church, of Natick, for about thirty years. 
The Provideyice Journal, referring to liim, justly says: 'uniting 
with the church at Natick in early life, he became one of its 
leading members, and though naturally of a retiring disposition, 
identified himself with whatever tended to promote the peace 
and prosperity of the community. Tew men in the quiet 
walks of life, with the advantages he possessed, can hope to 
accomplish more of real good to a village, than resulted from 
his simple unostentatious life. With a heart, full of warm ten- 
der emotions, kind and sympathizing to those in distress, the 
village was made better every time he passed through it. Dea. 
W. was a peace maker, both within and without the church; 
wise in counsel, though not forward in giving advice; upright 
and honest from principle; cheerful without levity; active, 
humble and consistent, in his religious life.' At his tuneral 
brief addresses were made by his pastor Rev. C. L. Frost, of 
Natick, Eevs. O. P. Fuller and J. Brayton, of Centreville, 
with prayer by Rev. G. Bobbins, of East Greenwich. He 
leaves a deeply afflicted widow and one daughter, members of 
the same church. May the household of faith, so long and 
tenderly united, which has ' reason to mourn and reason also 
to rejoice,' be eventually reunited where the mourning will be 
lost in eternal rejoicing." 

SHAWOMET BAPTIST CHUECH * 

In the spring of 1842, Rev. Jonathan E. Forbush 
commenced to labor here under the patronage of the 
R. I. Baptist State Convention. Some rehgious interest 
•was awakened, and the statement of facts prehminary to 
the organization of the present church says there were 
some conversions and baptism. Into what church these 
converts were baptized is not stated. Doubtless not the 
" old" church here, which is represented as indeed old 
and ready to vanish away. Mr. Forbush's work was to 
establish something more vigorous and vital than that 
seemed to be. 

The first record of a meeting looking to a church or- 
ganization is without date, but it was probably in Sep- 
tember or October, 1842. Five brethren and eleven 



* The sketch of this Church is from the pastor, Eev. J. T. Smith. 



50 CHUECHES OF WAEWICK, K. I. 

sisters met at the residence of John W. Greene. This 
meeting, besides consultation and prayer, appointed a 
committee of three to wait upon the Old Baptist Church 
and confer with them in reference to the proposed move- 
ment, and adjourned to November 2, at same place. 

At the adjourned meeting the committee of confer- 
ence with the " Old" Baptists reported — what, the record 
does not show, but it was unanimousl}^ resolved to push 
the church project ; November 16, was set for the recog- 
nizing council, and the churches to be sent to were spec- 
ified. A committee was appointed to report at an ad- 
journed meeting, Articles of Faith. At that meeting 
held Nov. 9, the committee reported the New Hampshire 
Articles, as then published, which were adopted. Two 
sisters related their experience, and were received for 
baptism. 

Nov. 16, 1842, the Council assembled, as called, at the 
Old Warwick Baptist Meeting House. It was consti- 
tuted as follows : — 

First Providence. — Brethren, Pardon Miller, Hugh H. Brown, 
Oliver Johnson. 

Second Providence. — Kev. Edward K. Fuller, brethren John 
Clemmons, John T. Lawton. 

Third Providence. — Rev. Thorndike C Jameson, brethren 
N. Mason, William C. Barker. 

Pawtuxet. — Rev. Bowen, brethren R. N. Mies, Reming- 
ton Smith. 

Lippitt and Phenix. — Rev. J. Brayton, brethren R. W. At- 
wood, Nicholas T. Allen, Wm. B. Spencer. 

East Greenwich. — Rev. J. H. Baker. 

The Council, which had for Moderator, Rev. T. C. 
Jameson, and Rev. E. K. Fuller, Clerk, took the custom- 
ary action in such cases, and adjourned for public services 
of recognition, at 2 o'clock same day. It was duly held, 
Rev, J. H. Baker reading scriptures, Rev. T. C. Jameson 
preaching, Rev. E. K. Fuller offering prayer of recog- 
nition, Rev. J. Brayton giving the Hand of Fellowship, 
Rev. — Bowen addressing the Church, and Rev. J. E. 
Forbush offering the concluding prayer. 



SHAWOMET BAPTIST CHURCH. 61; 

The Church was constituted with thirteen members, 
whose names follow : 

Rev. J. E. Forbush, (Pastor), Eliza H. Forbush, Benjamin 
Greene, Frances Greene, John Holden, Hester B. Holden, 
Welthy Potter, Sarah Potter Greene, Sally Greene, Elizabeth 
Stafford, Waite Lippitt Greene, Sally Holden Low, Sally Low 
Holden. 

Four of the above list survive, and are still members 
of the church, viz. : John Holden, Hester B. Holden, 
Sally Greene, and Sally H. Low. 

At the first meeting of the recognized church, Benja- 
min Greene was chosen Deacon, and John Holden, 
Clerk. 

In March, 1845, Mr. Forbush closed his labors as pas- 
tor, removing to Westminster, Mass. During these two 
and a half years, the church was increased by two bap- 
tized and three added by letter. Two were dismissed 
and one died, leaving two, net gain — 15 members. In 
September, of the same year, the church united with the 
Warren Association. 

Rev. Alfred Colburn was Mr. Forbush's successor for 
three years from October, 1845. In this period, some 
revival interest brought eight additions to the church by 
baptism, and one by experience. Seven were also added 
by letter. There being only one diminution, dismissed ; 
the net result was a doubling of the membership, 30. 

In April, 1848, John W. Greene was elected clerk, 
holding and honoring the office until April, 1873, since 
which time the pastor has served as clerk. 

After a year and a half of pastoral vacancy, in April, 
1850, Rev. George A. Willard, commenced the longest 
pastorate of the church's history, nine years, closing in 
May, 1859. It was not only long (for this church,) but 
measurably prosperous. Nearly every year of its contin- 
uance, there were conversions and baptisms. 

In 1851, the parsonage house was built at an expense 
of 81,400, on a half acre lot, the gift of Warren Lippitt, 
Esq., of Providence. At the same time the church was 
incorporated under the name of the " Shawomet Baptist, 
Church, of Warwick." 



52 CHURCHES OF "WARWICK, R. T. 

The changes in membership in the church in these nine 
years were : Additions by baptism, 28 ; by letter, 3 — 31. 
Diminutions, 14 dismissed, and 7 died — 21. Increase, 10, 
leaving a total of 40. 

In April, 1859, Deacon Benjamin Greene, removing 
from the place and the church, was succeeded in his 
office by Brother John W. Greene, who held it till March, 
1871, when he was succeeded by the present Deacon, 
Elisha Farnham, who is also Sunday School Superin- 
tendent. 

For about three years, commencing March, 1860, Rev. 
Henry G. Stewart served as pastor. In this time, there 
were added 3 by baptism, 1 by experience, and 4 by 
letter — 8. There were 4 diminutions, 1 death, 2 dismis- 
sions, and ] exclusion ; leaving a membership of 44, 

After one year of supplies. Rev. E. Hay den Watrous 
commenced service as pastor in March, 1864. His brief 
term of two years — he resigned in February, 1866, to go 
to Lonsdale — was marked by the most fruitful revival in 
the history of the church. The baptisms were 18 ; and 
5 were added by letter — 23, The diminutions in the 
same time weie 13 ; 5 by death and 8 dismissed, leaving 
a net increase of 10, and a membership of 54. 

From March, 1866, Rev. Charles H. Ham, of Provi- 
dence, served the church one year, as stated supply. In 
this year, 1 was baptized, 4 dismissed, and 1 died ; leav- 
ing a membership of 50. 

For a little more than two years, until November, 1868, 
the church depended upon temporary supplies. During 
this period, there were no additions, while there were 8 
diminutions ; 3 by death, 4 by dismission, and 1 by 
exclusion, reducing the total to 42. 

In November, 1868, the church invited Rev. J. Torrey 
Smith, of Woodstock, Ct,, to assume the pastoral charge. 
Without accepting the call, he served them as stated 
supply till July, 1869, when he accepted and removed 
hither. 

The present pastorate, has been a term, largely, of 
discouraging up hill work, relieved occasionally by fea- 



SHAWOMET BAPTIST CHURCH. 53 

tures of success. No large revival has been enjoyed, yet 
the word has not been without as positive and marked 
fruit as is ever seen. During the six ye?rs there have 
been two seasons of increased reHgious interest, resulting 
in 16 additions by baptism. There have been also 6 
additions by letter — 22. The diminutions in the six 
years have been 15 — 12 dismissed, and 3 deaths. Net 
increase, 7 ; which makes the present membership, 49. 
(This is two less than our last report, but this is the 
present number by the list.) 

At the commencement of the present pastorate, exter- 
nal conveniences for the support of worship were very 
defective. The parsonage had been built twenty-four 
years, and had never received much repair. During Mr. 
Willard's occupancy of it, a boy's boarding school was 
kept in it, and after Mr. Stewart left, it was occupied, not 
by a pastor, but by temporary tenants, until 1869. 
Thorough repairs being needed, more than five hundred 
(dollars have been raised, and expended upon it. 

For the fiist thirty years of the church's history it had 
no place of worship which it could, in any sense, call its 
own. The " Old Warwick Baptist Meeting House " 
Wis built in 1829 by proprietors, by whom, as a corpor- 
ation, under that name, it is owned and held. The 
charter gave a privileged use to the Baptist Church of 
the place, which, at that time, was the Six Principle 
Church, in its waning condition. 

When this church was organized in 1842, the Six 
Principle Church being quite feeble, and hastening to 
its apparant extinction, a considerable proportion of the 
members and families interested in the new organization 
were proprietors in the house. Quietly and by general 
consent this body succeeded to the use of the house, 
which they continued to use without interruption, as if 
it was their own. But by 1870 it had got quite out of 
repair, and was hardly comfortable or decent to use. 
But the proprietors could not be brought to any united 
action to repair it. The proprietors in the chucch were 
unwilling to spend their money upon a property which 
6 



64 CHURCHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 

the church had no corporate right or interest in. A 
project for building a house for tlie clnnch, on a lot 
given them for the purpose by Marshall Woods, Esq., of 
Providence, iailed of accomplisliing anything for want of 
a sufficient and united interest in it. Nothing, then, 
remained but to repair and use the existing house ; and 
this must be done, or the church must abandon her 
woik. 

To remove the obstacle which stood in the way of the 
previous effort of repairing, it became necessary to give 
the church, as a corporation, the essential owjiership of 
the house. This was done by obtaining fiom individual 
owners of pews (^. e., piopiietois,) a tiansfer of their 
ownership to the church. By this means the church 
became a large and the contioUing proj)rietor in tiie 
house. This being effected, theie \\as no difficulty in 
securing a vote to repair the house, and assess the 
expense as a tax u]ion the pews. It was done to the 
expense, including a fuinace for heating, of about 
$51,800. Some additional expense for furni.^hing was 
provided through the church. For these lepaiis of 
meetii'g-house and parsonage in tliese six years the 
church has expended above -¥'2,000, holding its piirsonage 
property and fully three-fourths of the meeting- house 
pioperty as its own, free of debt. Four thousand dollars 
would be a modeiate estimate of the value of this church 
pl•opeJt3^ Looking at the numbers and the lesouices of 
the church, it seems like so much created out of nothing. 

A summary of the hi^toiy shows the \\hole number of per- 
sons c( iinected with this chuich, during these thirly-two ytars, 
to be 119. Of these wei e — 

Constituent memlieis 13 

Added by baptism 70 

Eeceivi d by Jetier from other churches 28 

licceived on exijerieuce 2—119 

Of the.-e— 
Died while cotihected with the church ....... 20 

DiMuisM d to other churches 48 

Excluded 2 

Triffv ni members 49 — 119 

This summary shows that this church lias been 



PHENIX BAPTIST CHURCH. 55 

literally a recruitiun; station. The great bulk of its 
membership have been baptized on the field. It has 
dismissed to other churches nearly double the number 
it has received from other churches, and within one of 
the number it retains in its own connection. 



PHENIX BAPTIST CHtmCH. 

In the autumn of 1841, Rev. Jonathan Brayton, then 
tinder appointuiRut as a missionary of the R. I. Baptist 
State Convention, "to labor at Natick and vicinity," 
conferred with one of the residents of Phenlx in reference 
to holding religious services in that vicinity. At the 
October meeting of the Convention, held in Wickford, 
the subject was brnufrht up, and the Board appointed 
the Rev. Thomas Wilkes, then pastor of the Warwick 
and Coventry Church, a committee " to look over the 
ground and see how much money could be raised to sup- 
port preaching." Mr. Wilkes visited the villages of 
Phenix and Lippitt, and obtained subscriptions to the 
amount of -'$30, and meetings were immediately com- 
menced in the school house. 

At the opening of the year 1842, a protracted meeting 
was commenced in the school-house, which soon became 
so interesting that all who wished to attend could not 
be accommodated. They then applied to the JMeth- 
odist society, who were then occupying the "Tatem" 
meeting-house, owned by Deacon Josiah Chapin, of 
Providence, for permission to occupy that house, which 
was courteously granted for two weeks. " As the presence 
of God was visibly felt, and some souls were converted 
almost as soon as the meetings commenced, the brethren 
and sisters, (twenty five in number,) members of regular 
Baptist churches residing in the vicinity, on the evening 
of January 10, agreed to organize themselves into a 
church of Christ, and were publicly recognized as such, 
by appropriate religious services, on the 20th of the 



56 CHURCHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 

same month.* The recognition services were held in the 
Tatem meeting-house before the two weeks granted 
them had expired. Rev. J. Dowlini';, D. D., preached 
the sermon ; Rev. John H. Baker offered the prayer of 
recognition ; Rev. Thomas Wilkes gave the hand of 
fellowship, and Rev. J. R. Stone gave the charge to the 
church. The church assumed the name of " the 
Lippitt and Phenix Baptist Church of Warwick, R. I." 
The male members who entered into the organization 
were the following : Jonathan Brayton, Thomas S. 
Wightman, William B. Spencer, JereiTiiah Franklin, 
John B. Tanner, Benjamin Gardiner, Richard Gorton, 
Stephen Greene and Robert Card ; the female members 
were Weltha Spencer, Susan C. Tanner, Abby L. Tan- 
ner, Amey Franklin, Susan Albro, Mary W. Johnson, 
Mary A. Snell, Penelope Thurston, Mary A. Griffin, 
Martha Sliippee, Susan Greene, Abby A. Gorton, Eda 
Gorton, Phebe Frye, Mary Card, and Mary Pearce. 
There were nineteen other accepted candidates for 
admission, making a total of forty-four. On January 
3()th, twenty-nine persons were baptized, and the ordi- 
nance of baptism was adniinistered for three successive 
Sabbaths afterwards. From January 30 to March 6, 
seventy-seven persons were baptized and united with 
the newly formed church. 

Soon after the recognition of the church, the time 
having expired during which they were allowed the use 
of the Tatem meeting-house, they returned to tiie school- 
house, which was found too small to accommodate those 
who wished to attend. Arrangements were soon made 
with a view of building a meeting-house, and a committee 
appointed to attend to the matter. The lot was gene- 
rously given by the Manufacturing Company, and the 
committee contracted with Dea. Charles Shaw, of 
Providence, to build a house, thirty-six feet by forty- 
eight feet, for $1800. The church built the foundation 
walls and painted the house. The house was owned by 

* Miautes R. I. Baptist State Convention, April, 1842. 



PHENIX BAPTIST CHURCH. 57 

stockholders, who were to receive interest on the money- 
contributed. The vestry was not finished for use until 
several years after the upper room was occupied. After 
the vestry had been fitted up and other improvements 
made, it was found that the whole expense had amounted 
to about 13000. The stock subsequently became the 
property of the church by gift and purchase, and thus 
remained until the meeting-house was sold. 

Kev. Jonathan Bray ton was the first pastor, continuing 
as such seven or eight years. "Kev. Frederick Charlton 
served the church about nine months, followed by Rev. 
Geortre D. Crocker, for about the same length of time." 
Christopher Rhodes also supplied the church for several 
months, coming from Providence on Saturday, and 
returning the following Monday. Bro. Rhodes was then 
a surveyor of lumber in Providence, and devoted his 
Sabbaths to supplying destitute churches. The church 
were so well pleased with Bro. Rhodes, that they obtained 
his promise that if he should decide to give up his 
secular business and settle as pastor over any church, he 
would come to Phenix, a promise that he afterwards 
fulfilled. 

In 1851, Rev. Benjamin F. Hedden, became pastor of 
the church, and continued thus for nearly four years, 
and was followed by Rev. Christopher Rhodes, whose 
pastorate continued from April, 1855, for about six years 
and a half 

In 1852, several of the brethren united and built a 
house for the pastor to live in, and rented it to the 
chuich, which arrangement continued until June, 1870, 
when the parsonage became the property of the church. 

During the pastorate of Mr. Rhodes, the congregation 
had so increased that it was deemed advisable to either 
enlarge their house of worship, or to build a new one, 
and on March 5, 1859, they " voted, that it is expedient 
to enlarge our meeting-house," and a committee com- 
posed of VVm. B. Spencer, S. E. Card, and S. H. Bray- 
ton, were appointed to attend to altering and enlarging 
the house. After examining the house, it was thought 

*6 



CHUKCHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 



best to sell it and build a new one. " March 19th, 1859, 
it was voted, that the building committee appointed on 
the 5th inst, be authorized and empowered to dispose of 
the meeting house and lot, or any part of the same, if 
they deem it for the interest of the church to do so, and 
on such terms as they think best, and if sold, they are 
hereby authorized to procure another lot and erect a 
meeting-house thereon, of such dimensions as will meet 
the wants of the church and society, the plans of said 
house being first approved by the church." The committee 
accordingly sold the meeting-house and lot for f 1700, 
the church occupying it for the last time, October 2, 

1859. At a meeting of the church, held August 6, 
1869, " voted, that the committee appointed to sell the 
meeting-house and build a new one, be empowered to 
build such a house of worship, as in their judgment 
they think best" The lot upon which the church now 
stands was given by William B. Spencer. The committee 
contracted with Post & Tuesdell, of Kockville, Conn., 
who failed of carrying out the contract, when the matter 
returned to the committee, and after various delays' the 
house was finally completed. The whole amount 
expended on the meeting-house and lot was $18,437.41. 
This included $325 for the clock, ($250 of which was 
generously given by Henry Howard, Esq.,) and a bell, 
weighing 1,609 pounds and costing $575.49. The vestry 
was occupied by the church, January 29, 1860, and the 
upper portion of the house in September, 1869. " It is a 
capacious and beautiful structure, with a steeple whose 
height is 162 feet from the ground. The edifice is not 
only an ornament to the village, but will compare favor- 
ably with any village-meeting house in the State. The 
church may well congratulate itself on the value of its 
church property, owning also a commodious parsonage ; 
all of the property being entirely free from debt." 

At the January session of the General Assembly, 

1860, the name of the church was changed to " The 
Phenix Baptist Church." 

In October, 1861, Rev. Bohan P. Byranl, now settled 



THE " ELDER TATEM CHURCH," PHENIX. 59 



in Plymouth, Mass., became pastor, and remained until 
October, 1867. Rev. T. W. Sheppard, the present 
pastor, began his labors in April, 1868. 

The following persons have served the church as dea- 
cons : Thomas S. Wightman, John B. Tanner, Ray W. 
Atwood, J. Bailey, J. S. Kenyon, A. J. Burle on, W. T. 
Pearce, and W. W. Remington, the last four being no-w- 
in service. 

The following have served as church clerks : — Wm. 
B." Spencer, Hinim Arnoll, Wm. B. Spencer, a second 
term, and Vernum A. Bailey, the present clerk. 

In 1843, Nicholas T. Allen was hcensed to preach, 
and in October, 1869, Henry V. Baker was also licensed 
to preach. 

The present number of members is 220. 



THE " ELDER TATEM CHURCH, PHENTX. 

The exact date of the organization of this church I 
have not been able to learn. In 1827, Elder Henry 
Tatem occupied the school-house, and until the erection 
of his meeting-house in 1829. This church edifice wt.s 
the first one built in the vicinity. The lot on which it 
stood, the same one now occupied by the Methodist 
church, was bought of Mr. Henry Snell, for |120. An 
act of incorporation was granted by the General 
Assembly at its January session, 1833, to Henry Tatem, 
Nicholas G. Potter, Benjamin R. Allen, Caleb Potter, 
Sheldon Colvin, Cyril Babcock, Ray W. Atwoocl, Cyrus 
Manchester, Jr., George P. Prosser, Reuben Wright and 
William Warner. Elder Tatem preached in this meeting- 
house until difficulties broke out which divided the 
church in 1837, when Elder Nicholas Potter succeeded 
him for a few months. Eller Tatem was ordained in 
1816. The society became so feeble, they were obliged 
to sell their meeting-house which was purchased by 
Josiah Chapin, Esq., of Providence, in behalf of the 
Congregationalists. • Rev. Russell Allen became the 



60 CHUECHES OF WARWICK, E. I. 

preacher under tlie new regime. Soon the Methodists 
hired the house, and in 1842 effected its purchase. It 
stood on the site of the present edifice erected by that 
society, until it was purchased by Governor Harris, who 
removed it to another part of the village, and altered it 
into tenements where it now stands. A published state- 
ment of the church now before me, designates it as the 
"First General Baptist Church in Warwick." It appears 
to have held to the denominational tenets of the Free- 
Will Baptists. A copy of the " Minutes of the first 
meeting of the Rhode Island Union Conference, held in 
Cranston, October 13 and 14, 1824," gives the names of 
the pastors and delegates of these churches as comprising 
the conference at that time. Elder Henry Tatem, of the 
Cranston Church, Elder Ray Potter, of the Pawtucket 
Church, and Elder Zalmon Tobey, of the " Fourth Bap- 
tist Church, in Providence." In their circular letter 
published in their minutes, they say, " We are confident 
that the real followers of the Lamb of equal piety and 
usefulness in the church may be found for instance 
among Calvinists and Arminians, notwithstanding their 
disagreement in opinion. We dare not, therefore, call 
that common and unclean which God has cleansed." 



FIRST FREE-WILL BAPTIST CHURCH. 

This church was originally located in that portion of 
the town now becoming known as Greenwood, near the 
" High House," so called. Previous to the building of 
the meeting-house, meetings were held in a school-house, 
across the railroad, on or near the site of the present 
new dwelling of Mr. Collingwood. Elder Reuben Allen 
appears to have been the first pastor, and John Carder 
and John Gorton deacons. The church was prosperous 
under the leadership of Elder Allen, and many were 
added to the church. The church built their meeting- 
house about the year 1833. Elder Allen was followed 
in the pastorate by Elder James Phillips, who preached 



FIRST FREE-WILL BAPTIST CHFRCH. 61 

for several years. The church during this time passed 
through severe trials from which it never fully recovered. 
Elder Champlain preached for a while in the meeting- 
house and until about the time the church of which he 
was pastor built a house for themselves about a mile to 
the southward. Elder Joseph Whittemore preached 
twice a month for a while, about the year 1842-3, and 
after that preaching services were held only ocuasionally 
until the house was removed to Pontiac and the church 
re-organized. 

About the year 1850, the meeting house was removed 
to Pontiac upon land given by David Arnold. The 
land according to the terms of the deed, was to revert 
to the original owner or his heirs, assigns, &c., when no 
longer used for church purposes. In March, 1851, the 
church was re-organized under the name of The First 
Free-Will Baptist Church of Warwick. The following 
persons coirjposed the new organization : Joseph B. 
Baker, Edmund L. Budlong, Moses Budlong, Wm. 
Tibbitts, Burden Baker, John Vickery, Stephen Luther, 
Freelove Wood, Hannah Searles, Susan Bennett and 
Susan Baker. Uriah Eddy, who united a few weeks 
later was appointed a deacon, and Edmund L. Budlong, 
clerk. Elder Reuben Allen, who appears to have been 
the first preacher under the old organization, was the first 
pastor under the new order of things. On March 13, 1852, 
the church voted to change their name to the " Warwick 
Church." In 1852, Uriah Eddy became the church 
cleik. On April 19, 1856, passed a " vote of thanks" 
to Elder Reuben Allen for his services during the past 
year, and appointed Joseph B. Baker a committee to 
supply the pulpit. From this time up to April, 1859, 
the pulpit was supplied by different preachers. At this 
latter date, it was voted " that Elder Reuben Allen be 
our pastor for the ensuing year." On April 28, 1861, 
George T. Hill was licensed to preach the gospel, and 
on September 6 following, he was ordained as pastor of 
the church, by Elde-rs George T. Day and Reuben Allen. 
On October following, Horace Thompson was licensed 



62 CHURCHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 

to preach the gospel. On April 27, 1862, George 
Budlong was appointed a deacon. On July following, 
Elder Reuben Allen Avas again chcsen pastor for the 
ensuing year. On April 26, 1863, Franklin Potter was 
licensed " to improve his gift." On June 4, 186 t, the 
church voted that " David Culver be the pastor for the 
coming year, and that an effort be made to raise $200 
for his support." 

From March 30, 1866, Abraham Lockwood was the 
clerk, and Bro. A. Warner, of Providence, became the 
preacher. R. E. Fisher was the clerk in 1869. The 
last pastor was Elder James Tobey, who preached about 
two years. Elder Tobey continued to preach until April," 
1869, when failing health induced him to re>ig'n, and 
from this time until they disbanded, the chu)-ch was 
pastoiless. 

On November 5, 1871, the church met in covenant 
meeting, and expressed its deep sorrow at the recent 
death of Deacon Uriah Eddy. 

On November 6, 1871, " ca council of ministers were present 
to confer with the church in regard to the propriety of uniting 
with the Ap[)onaug Church. A quorum not being present, the 
meeting was adjourned to meet at tlie church Sunday next, at 
2 o'clock P. M. November 12,1871, church met according to 
appointment, and voted to adopt ihe following resolution'^;: 

To a(li)pt the recommendatious of the council held at the 
previous meeting, to wit: — 

To unite witli tlie Apponaug Church in a body, so many as 
can feel it a duty to di) so. 

Voted, That a list of tlienonresideut members be transferred 
to tlie non-resident list of the Apponaug Church, in order that 
none by this act be left withoul church connection. 

Voted, Thau 11 C. Budlong be authorized to draw up a paper 
for the members of this church to sign as an application of 
membership in the Apponaug Church. 

Voted, That H. C. JJudlong present to the Appomug Church 
the records of this church, with a list of applications to that 
church; also, a li->t of all who have taken letters, and a list of 
non resident members of our church, and recommend and pray 
them to lake them under their especial watch-care, and influ- 
ence them, as soon as their whereabouts can be learned, to 
unite with some evangelical church." 

In accordance with the above recommendations, a 



WARWICK AND EAST GREENWICH CHURCH. 63 

portion of the church anited with the Free Baptist 
Church at Apponaug, and others with other churches, 
and the body ceased to be a distinct cliurch. The meet- 
infr-house, which was owned by stockholders, was sold 
to the colored church, on the Plains, — they having lost 
their house by fire, — for iSOO, who removed it, in 1873, 
to the site of their former house, where it now stands. 

WARWICK AND EAST GREENWICH FREE-WILL 
BAPTIST CHURCH. 

The meeting-house of this church is situated on the 
Plains, about half a mile north of the village of Appo- 
naug. From the records of the church and other 
sources, we subjoin the following account of its origin 
and history : Previous to the building ol their meeting- 
house, the church, which was organized December US, 
1841, worshipped in various places, but chiefly in the 
meetnifj-house a mile north, near the " High House." 
Rev. Geo. Champlain was the pastor, and continued in 
this relation for some fifteen years. About the time of 
the " Dorr war," the lai'ger portion of the members were 
on the side of the " law and oider " party, and the 
church worshipping in the meeting-house to the north- 
ward were hugely of the numbei' known as " Liberty 
men." As a consequence of the disagreement in politics 
between the two churches, the privilege of holding 
meetings in the meeting-house was denied Mr, Champ- 
lain and his church, and measures were taken to build 
for themselves a house of woiship. Gov. John Brown 
Francis, Judge Dutee Arnold and Geo. T. Spicer, Esq., 
now of Providence, but then of Pontiac, interested them- 
selves in their behalf, and a subscription was staited tO' 
raise the necessary funds for the erection oi" a meeting- 
house. 

The subscription paper was drawn up by Gov. Francis, 
and is still preserved. The following are e^^tracts from 
this paper: 

*' This house is to be consecrated to the use of the Free-Will' 



64 CHURCHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 

Baptist Church of Warwick and East Greenwich, of which 
George Champlain is now the elder, and Joseph Babcock, 
deacon; subject, however, to ttiis condition, viz.: 

That the seats shall be free for all the worshippers of that 
conj^rejration, and that no pews shall be erected therein. 

iTis understood, likewise, that the lot whereon the building 
is to be located shall be conveyed to ihe above society, but not 
until au act of incorporation is first obtained." 

Appended to the paper are the follownig names of those 
who subscribed $20 or upwards, viz.: Judge Dutee Ar- 
nold, in behalf of himself and his daughter Marcy, $-30 ; 
Hon. William Sprague, in behalf of himself and his 
daughter, Mrs. Susan Hoyt, $75 ; Gov. Francis, in behalf 
of himself and his daughter Anne, $75 ; John Carter 
Brown, of Providence, |50 ; C. & M. Rhodes, $25 ; 
George T. Spicer, $20. 

The land on which the house was built was given by 
Stephen Budlong to the church. The house was built 
in 1844, at a cost of $1,275. This house was used until 
August, 1872, when it was totally consumed by fire. 
The present house, which is the same one that originally 
stood near the *' High House," and was subsequently 
removed to Pontiac, was purchased by this society the 
same year their house was burnt, for $800, and removed 
to its present position. 

The relation that those who have preached sustained 
to the church is not very clearly defined in the records, 
so that it is difficult to tell by them whether those who 
preached were formally recognized as pastors or only 
supplies. The church has not always, if ever, been able 
to support a pastor, and has, consequently, been obliged 
to secure such preachers as were able to support them- 
selves wholly or in part. Among those who have 
preached to the church for the longest periods, were 
Elder George Champlain,* Elder E. Bellows, Elder 



* Elder Champlain become well known thr )ughout the town as 
qniie an able preacher. He was a man of iimre ilian u^ual natural 
ability, autl a forcible speaker, and many anecdotes are told respecting 
him that reveal his keenness and ready wit,. It is said tnat on« time 
some of his hearers cumplained. to him that he was too personal and. 



CENTRAL FEEE-WITiL BAPTIST CHURCH. 65 

Peter Noka, Elder Benjamin Roberts, Elder Durfee, 
Elder John Dixon, and the present pastor. Elder Wm, 
Devereaux, who has preached to them for several years 
past. 

The following persons have served the chnrch as 
deacons, viz.: Joseph P. Babcock, Job Frye, James B. 
Waite, Henry E. Sambo, Geo. Champlain, Jr., Samuel 
S. Bliss, Jeremiah G. Dailey, Thomas H. Brown, Harri- 
son G. O. Lincoln, and others. 

The following persons have served the church as 
clerks, viz.: James B. Waite, Henry E. Sambo, Thomas 
H. Knowles, Wm. H. Briggs, Samuel B. Eddy, John F. 
Champlain, John O. Lincoln, Albert G. Lippitt and 
John P. Gardner. 



CENTRAL FREE-Wn.L BAPTIST CHURCH OF WARWICK. 

This church was organized by Rev. Benjamin Phelon, 
who, on the third Sabbath in August, 1835, baptized 
and formed into a church the following individuals, viz.: 
Alexander Havens, Wm. Harrison, William D. Brayton, 
Thomas W. Harrison, Elizabeth Wickes, Catherine 
Westcott and Mary E. Wilbur. Their first deacon was 
Alex. Havens, and their first clerk, Wm. D. Brayton. 

Rev. Benjamin Phelon, now of Providence, was their 
first pastor, and preached for them at this time about 
two years and a half. He was followed by Rev. Thomas 
S. Johnson, who was called to the pastorate of the 
church in October, 1837, and remained about two years. 



severe in his preaching. He replied: " When I am preaching I shoot 
right straight at the devil, every time, and if any of you get between 
me and the devil, yon will be liable to get hurt." While preaching 
he would sometimes get quite animated, and his gestures on such 
occasions would be more forcible than elegant. He occupied the old 
"Tin Top " atQuidnick for awhile, after it was given up by the church 
th^t built it, and, it is said, he would sometimes, while preaching 
there, jump so high that the audience in front of the pulpit could see 
his knees. To do this he must have gone uj) more than three feet into 
the air. Elder Champlain had some failings, but possessed many 
excellent qualities. 



66 CHUBCHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 

Rev. J. S. Mowry was the next pastor, and commenced 
his labors November, 1840, closing them in May, 1842. 
He, in turn, was followed by Rev. Martin J. Steere, 
who remained three years. 

In April, 1849, the church invited Rev. Mr. Phelon 
to become again their pastor, which invitation he accepted, 
and he continued to preach until September, 1869. 

After this. Rev. J. A. Stetson supplied the pulpit for 
several months, and until the Rev. E. P. Harris was 
called to the pastorate. Mr. Harris remained about six 
months. 

The present pastor, Rev. George W. Wallace com- 
menced his labors in September, 1870.* 

The number of members at the present time is eighty- 
seven. 

THE NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH. 

The following interesting communication, giving the 
origin of this church, is from Hon. Simon Henry 
Greene. The personal allusions of the venerable gentle- 
man to his own experience, though perhaps not designed 
for publication, will not detract from the interest with 
which it will be perused : 

RiVERPOiNT, R. I., April, 1875. 
Rev. O. p. Fuller. 

Dear Sir, — Mr. Artemas Stebbins who was well 
known in Warwick as a Methodist Circuit preacher, 
about the year 1812, was probably the first to make 
known the New Church Theolog}^ in the town. My 
home was then in the locality of the town now called 
Centreville, with my mother, Mrs. Abigail Greene, a de- 
voted, worthy member of the Methodist Church. My 
father was Job Greene, who died in 1808. 

In the autumn of 1811, I was placed at a school from 
home, returning in 1812. I was emploj^ed in business 



* The sketch of this church is furnished by its pastor, Eer. G. W. 
Wallace. 



NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH. 67 

in Hartford, Conn, in 1813, returning home again in 
1814. In 1815-1 engaged in business in Providence, 
where I married in 1822, and resided there until 1838, 
wlien my business required a removal of my family to 
Warwick, my native town, and a removal was made 
accordingly, to where we still reside. 

You will thus see how the link which had connected 
me with Centreville was severed, and how the most inti- 
mate relations with that locality, as to me, were measur- 
ably suspended. I had notwithstanding, some knowl- 
edge at different times of Mr. Stebbins, his whereabouts 
and his occupation. I heard of him, not far from the 
year 1815, as travelling and vaccinating for the kine 
pock, then having the title of Doctor, and that he had 
visited Centreville on such a mission. And if my recol- 
lection is right, he was then teaching the doctrines of 
the New Church, — and it is not unlikely he may have 
preached them publicly at Centreville. Years after- 
wards I heard of him as settled in Swanzey, Mass., 
where I believe he died. I do not know that he ever 
became a minister of the New Church, to preach regu- 
larly, or indeed at all, anywhere. He was probably the 
first man to make a declaration of the doctrines of the 
New Church — called by Swedenborg " The Heavenly 
Doctrines of the New Jerusalem," in the town of War- 
wick. 

My own attention was attracted to acquire a knowl- 
edge of the doctrines, while living in Providence, at 
about thirty-five years of age, but the ideas contained 
in them were so new to my mind, that I made slow pro- 
gress in learning ; my former theological notions block- 
ing the way for the entrance of the new truths. I had 
been religiously inclined from an early age, and had 
read much of theological works, but with all my expe- 
rience and observation, I could not settle into a rational, 
satisfactory "belief in any of the systems of theology 
which had fallen under my notice, until the writings of 
the profoundly learned and eminent scholar and christian, 
Emanuel Swedenborg, fell in my way. Apparently by 



68 CHURCHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 

accident, but really by the ordering of the Divine Prov- 
idence, I came in contact with a few individuals in 
Providence who were " receivers of the Heavenly Doc- 
trines," and who held regular meetings for worship and 
for instruction, at Union Ha.ll, near Westminster street, 
on which occasions a sermon was read by some one of 
the members. Occasionally a visit was made us by a 
minister, who preached and administered the sacraments 
of baptism and the holy supper. We became members 
of the Bridgewater, Mass., Society of the New Church, 
and the pastor. Rev. Samuel Worcester, rendered to us 
occasional pastoral care and services. His brother like- 
wise, now Dr. Thomas Worcester, then the pastor of a 
New Church Society in Boston, visited us and preached 
in Providence. Samuel has been dead several years. 
Thomas is now living in Waltham, Mass., retired from 
active life, to much extent, in the ministry, on account 
of advanced age and impaired health. Both of them 
were sons of Rev. Noah Worcester, one of the earliest 
and most noted Unitarian Clergymen in the United 
States. The sons, however, were compelled wholly to 
repudiate the peculiar theology of their father 

I engaged with Mr. Edward Pike, in the firm name 
of Greene & Pike, to do business in Warwick, in 1828, 
which copartnership arrangement continued until his 
death in 1842. I had conversations with him and his 
brother David, who is still living, on the subject of the 
New Church doctrines. They became much interested 
in them, and procured the " True Christian Religion," 
the final work on Theology of Swedenborg, and of a 
great number of volumes previously written and pub- 
lished by him, which they read and became convinced of 
the truth of those doctrines. I became a member of the 
Bridgewater Society of the New Church in 1836. 

In consequence of the interest the Messrs. Pike and I 
felt to have preaching in Warwick, Rev." Samuel Wor- 
cester was invited to preach in Warwick, and he did so 
at the " Lippitt & Phenix School House," on the 14th of 
April, 1837, to an audience of about 175 persons. Many 



NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH. 69 



interested listeners to New Church teachings were present. 
Mr. Edward Pike and his brother David soon afterwards 
visited Rev. Mr. Worcester's home, and were' baptized 
by him at Bridgewater on the 7th of May, 1837. In 
due time others were baptized by Mr. Worcester here in 
Warwick, and a little band were associated together to 
hold regular meetings on the Sabbath day for worship 
then held, and now continue to be holden, in a house 
built by Greene & Pike, to be used for the double pur- 
pose of a school-house and a house for public worship. 

In 1838, I removed with my family to Warwick, and 
it was arranged, the pastor co-operating, that I should 
be appointed and authorized to act as a leader in public 
•worship, in which capacity I have officiated to the present 
time, — to wit : to the year 1875, — a term of nearly 
thirty-seven years, being now in the 77th year of my age. 

It is obvious to a New Churchman,' that the New 
Jerusalem which John saw " coming down from God 
out of heaven," is indeed leavening the whole world with 
the Divine love and the Divne wisdom, raising it by 
those sublime principles to higher and more exalted 
spiritual, heavenly states. Those heaven-descended 
quaUties infused into the minds of men enlighten their 
paths, and say unto them in the benignity of perfect 
love — " this is the way, walk ye in it." But alas! men 
generally do not believe that it is the Lord in His second 
coming, " in the clouds of heaven," who is now standing 
at the door of their hearts — their affections — and knock- 
ing for them to open the door, that He may enter in with 
His love and wisdom, and establish His glorious king- 
dom there, — they do not believe that all who have died 
since the world began have been raised from death unto 
life, and have been judged, and have become associated 
in the spiritual world with those in similar states with 
themselves — whether those states be evil, or whether 
they be good. " Evil is of hell, and good is of heaven." 
" The life of man is his Zove." If the love be evil, the 
life is hellish. If the love be good, the life is heavenly. 
Yours truly, SiMON Hekry Greene. 

•7 



70 CHURCHES OF WARWICK, E. I. 



friends' meeting, old WARWICK* 

The first " Monthly Meeting " of the Society of 
Friends held in Warwick, on record, was at the house 
of John Briggs, in 1699. Meetings were held subse- 
quently at the house of Jabez Greene, and probably 
until their meeting-house was built. The Greenwich 
Monthly Meeting then embraced the towns of Provi- 
dence, Greenwich, Kingstown and Warwick. The fol- 
lowing is from the records of the " Monthly Meeting :" 

"At Greenwich Monthly Meeting of Friends, held 4 month, 
4th, 1716, it was proposed to build a meeling-house at Warwick,, 
and two Friends were appointed to lay the proposition before 
the Quarterly Meeting, and also the Yearly Meeting." 

Three months later the Monthly Meeting decided to 
build the meeting-house. The records do not inform us 
when the house was built, but it appears to have been 
built before the land upon which it stood was purchased, 
probably by permission of the owner, and with the 
understanding that a deed of it would be given. On 
the "ninth of 3d month, 1720, Benjamin Barton sold to 
Samuel Aldrich, Thomas Arnold, Jabez Greene, Joseph 
Edmonds and Thomas Rodman, for <£45, current money, 
one and a half acres and thirty -five rods " of land, " being 
that piece or parcel of land on which stands a certain 
meeting-house in which ye people called Quakers usually 
meet in Warwick aforesaid." 

The Friends were never numerous in the town, but 
held meetings in the house at Warwick frequentlj^ during 
the last century ; for the last fifty years only occasionally 
has the house been occupied. The old meeting-house 
was so much injured by the September gale of 1815, 
that it was taken down the following year, and a portion 
of its timbers were used in the erection of the present 



* For a portion of the items in the above account, I am indebted to 
the venerable Perez Peck, of Coventry. 



EPISCOPAL CHUBCH, COWESETT. 71 

modest structure. The old house was considerably 
larf^er than the present one, and was two stories hio^h, 

Loyd Greene, an approved minister of the Society of 
Friends, and a resident in that vicinity, gave the Society 
the sum of |500, the interest of which was to be ex- 
pended in keeping the house in repair. This money they 
deposited in a savings bank, and by the dishonesty of 
the cashier they lost about one-third of it about ten 
years ago. The interest has. since been allowed to accu- 
mulate to the amount of the original sum. Loyd Greene 
sold his farm at Old Warwick, and removed to East 
Greenwich, where he became disheartened, and wandered 
back one day to his old home, and hung himself in the 
barn which he formerly owned. He is remembered as an 
upright, conscientious man. The old. meeting-house 
has been thoroughly repaired during the past season, 
and is one of the oldest buildings in the State occupied 
by the Friends'for their religious meetings.* 

EPISCOPAL CHURCH, COWESETT. 

The items respecting the church in which Rev. Dr. 
James McSparran, Dr. Fayerweather, and others, offi- 
ciated once a month, are gathered chiefly from the in- 
teresting work of Mr. Updike. 

" On the 2d of September, 1728, a lot of ground situated at 
equal distances from the present village of Apponaug and East 
Greenwich, and between the post road and the present Ston- 
ington railroad, was conveyed by the Rev. George Pigot to the 
Society in London for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign 
Parts, for erecting a church according to the establishment of 
churches by law in 2sew England. A church was accordingly 
erected, — a wooden building, two stories in height, with a 
steeple and spire, fronting the post road. After remaining 
unoccupied a long time, in a ruined state, it was taken down, 
about the year 1764, by inhabitants from Old Warwick, for the 



* Their first house at East Greenwich was built in the year 1700, and 
the first meeting held in it was on the " second of seventh month," of 
that year. They continued to worship in it until the year 1806, when 
they erected the one they now occupy. 



72 CHURCHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 

purpose of erecting a church there. The materials having 
been conveyed to the shore, were scattered and lost during a 
storm which arose soon after. Annmlierif graves, pr'>baJ)ly 
of individuals connected with the church., are still to l.e seen 
upon the lot. The Rev. George Pig 't reside 1 in Warwick a 
number of years, and twned a track "f land there. He proba- 
bly obtained the means of erecting the church." 

When the congregation of Trinity Church, Newport, 
built their new church in 1726, they gave their old 
building to the people of this denomination living in 
this town, and, according to tradition, it was floated 
from Newport to this place. From the abstracts of the 
Missionary Society, under whose patronage the Episcopal 
clergymen in this State then acted, we learn that Dr. 
McSparran officiated monthly in Warwick, from 1741 to 
1757, and Mr. John Graves from 1762 to 1783, the 
former receiving for his services the sum of <£50 ; the 
latter, .£15. 

The house stood on the corner of the street that leads 
down to the " Folly Landing,'"* on the site of the house 
erected a few years ago b}^ Edwin Bovven. The grave- 
yard was just south of Mr. Bowen's house. There were 
inscriptions on but two of the stones, those of Capt. 
John Drake and his wife. The Captain, as appears from 
the inscriptions on the stone erected at his grave, died 
January 29, 1733. His wife died July 23, 1738. The 
remains, with the grave stones, were removed to the old 
Caleb Ladd burial lot, about an eighth of a mile to the 
northward, many years ago, b}^ Mr. Jonathan N. Peirce, 
who owned the lot at the time. 

This lot subsequently came into possession of David 
Greene, who sold it to Rufus Spencer, who bequeathed 
it to his daughter, Mary Spencer. Mary Spencer, by 
will, gave it to the Society of Friends at East Green- 
wich. On February 1, 1808, as per deed of that date, 
Nicholas Congdon, Darius P. Lawton, Perez Peck, Beriah 



* The origin of this terra is as follows: Josiah Baker put up a 
house near the shore and kept a sort of tavern, which became known 
as '' Baker's Follj\" The term " Follj'" became applied to the wharf 
also, and for awhile the railway station near it was so called. 



EPISCOPAL CHURCH, OOWESETT. 73 



Brown, and others, in behalf of the Society of Friends, 
sold this lot and land adjoining, amounting to fifty acres, 
"being the same as conveyed to them by Mar}- Spencer, 
late of Greenwich, daughter of Rufus Spencer," to 
Jonathan N. Peirce for the sum of ^2000. A portion of 
this tract was sold a few years ago to Amasa Sprague 
for $12,000. A portion on which the old meeting-house 
stood, Mr. Peirce sold to Mr. Bowen, as above stated. 
Mr. Peirce, at the ripe age of eighty-three, resides upon 
a portion of his purchase made in 1808, having removed 
his house from the opposite side of the road when he 
sold the land to Amasa Sprague. 

The following are extracts from the church records, 
with biographical comments by Mr. Updike : 

" April 11, 1736. Baptized at Cowesett, (Warwick Church), 
by Mr. McSparran, two children, viz.: Rebecca Pigot, daughter 
of Edward Pigot, and Charles Dickenson, son of Capt. John 
Dickenson." 

" Edward Pigot was the brother of the Hev. George Pigot, 
and was a physician, — came to Warwick soon after his brother, 
but remained but a few years after his brother removed to 
Salem." 

" Sept. 7th, 1739. Dr. McS. preached at the church in War- 
wick, and admitted Mr. Le valley to the sacrament of the Lord's 
supper." 

" The Mr. Levalley here mentioned was probably Peter 
Levalley, who died in Warwick iu 1756, and was the ancestor 
of the Levalleys in Warwick and Coventry." 

" Dec. 14, 1745. Dr. McS. preached Moses Lippit's funeral 
sermon, and buried him in his own ground in Warwick. He 
died the l'2th, about 11 o'clock in the foreuoou." 

'' June 8, 1746. Dr. McSparran baptized by immersion a 
young woman named Patience Stafford, daughter of Samuel 
Stafford, of Warwick, and then from Mr. Francis' rode to the 
church, read prayers and preached there." 

" April 21, 1750. Baptized by Immersion, in Warwick, 
Elizabeth Greene, wife of Eichard Greene, and by affusion, 
Welthan Lippit, wife of Jeremiah Lippit, a sister of said 
Richard." 

" Saturday, June 12, 17ii6. Dr. McSparran administered bap- 
tism by lotvil immersion to two young women at Warwick, viz.: 
Elizabeth Greene, jun. daughter of Richard Greene and Eliza- 
beth, his wife, and to Sarah Hammett, daughter of an Ana- 
baptist teacher, some time ago dead." 



74 CHURCHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 

" July 23, 1756. As I came home from Providence, I took 
Warwick in my way, and baptized by immersion one adult, 
named Phebe Low, daughter of Fliilip Greene, Esq., of War- 
wick, and wife of one Captain Low." 

" Philip Greene was the grandson of Deputy Gov. Greene, 
and the father of Col. Christopher Greene, of the revolution, 
and married Elizabeth Wickes, sister of Thomas Wickes." 

About the only relics connected with the old church 
known to exist at present, are a portion of its records, 
and a Bible and prayer book, given to the church by the 
" Society in London for the Propagation of the Gospel 
in Foreign Parts." These latter fell to the possession of 
a Mrs. Lippitt, who lately died in Providence. The 
books are probably now in possession of the nieces of 
Mrs. Lippitt. 

ST. Philip's church, crompton. 

At a meeting of several persons, desirous of forming 
a Christian congregation in communion with the Pro- 
testant Episcopal Church, held in Crompton Mills, War- 
wick, on the 27th of May, 1845, the Rev. James H. 
Eames was appointed chairman, and Mr. David Updike 
Hagan secretary. After due deliberation it was decided 
to form a religious society to be known " by the name 
and style of St. Philip's Church." The following per- 
sons were appointed wardens and vestrymen : Frederick 
Pfawner, senior warden ; David Updike Hagan, junior 
warden ; VVm. C. Gregory, James Crawford, James H. 
Clapp, Thomas Tiffany, vestrymen ; David U. Hagan, 
vestry clerk, and James H. Clapp, treasurer. 

The vestry were instructed to procure " a lot or lotts 
for the use of this congregation as soon as the sum 
necessary to effect it shall be subscribed." The present 
lot on which the meeting-house is situated was purchased 
and the house built during the year. It was consecrated 
by Rt. Rev. J. P. K. Henshaw, Bishop of the Diocese 
of Rhode Island, January 1, 1846. The house was 
never completed according to the design, which contem- 
plated a tower and vestibule on one of its corners, with 



ST. Philip's church, crompton. 76 

other ornamentation. The cost of the house in its 
present form was $1200. 

Previous to the building of the church, religious ser- 
vices were held in the " Store Chamber " for about a 
year. Rev. J. Mulchahey, now assistant rector of Trinity 
Church, New York, and Rev. Daniel Henshaw, son of 
the Bishop, and now rector of All Saints Memorial 
Church, Providence, officiating on alternate Sabbaths. 
The first baptism recorded on the church records is that 
of a child of Thomas Hampson, December 19, 1843. 

The following is the list of the rectors : Rev. J. 
Mulchahey; C. E. Bennett, since deceased; G. W. 
Chevers, deceased ; E. W. Maxey, now in New York 
State; D. Potter, now of Cambridge, Mass.; R. H. 
Tuttle, now of Connecticut ; Silas M. Rogers, now settled 
in South Lee, Mass.; Robert Paul, in New York State; 
James S. Ellis, now in Wilkinsonville, Mass., and Thomas 
H. Cocroft, the present rector. 

The Rectory was built by Mr. Cady Dyer for his 
private residence, and subsequently sold to the Diocesan 
Convention that holds the church property. 

The rectors have been accustomed to hold religious 
services also in some of the other villages, where missions 
have been established, as at Fiskeville, Scituate and 
Phenix. At the latter place, Benjamin C Harris built 
a small Gothic building, known as " Little Kock Chapel," 
which was used awhile for Episcopal services.* In Jan- 
uary, 1861, when Rev. Mr. Rogers became the rector, he 
found a debt of 11300 on the Rectory, which he suc- 
ceeded in reducing to 8440. Mr. Rogers closed his term 
of service in August, 1867. During the time, he " bap- 
tized 111 infants, children and adults ;" 45 persons were 
confirmed ; 69 pe3-sons were buried, and 27 couples mar- 
ried. In 1873, the church was found to be greatly in 



* This building was afterwards purchased by the Catholics, through 
the agency of Rev. Mr. Gibson, pnstor of St. Mary's, Crompton, for 
$400. The lot was given by Mr. Harris. It was used for religious 
services until about the time their present church was obtained, and^ 
then sold. 



76 CHUECHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 

need of repairs, and in July and August of that year, it 
was repainted on the inside, the walls were frescoed, and 
a new carpet purchased, the cost of the repairs amount- 
ing to about $400, part of which was contributed at 
home and the remainder in Providence. After the resig- 
nation of Mr. Paul, in 1870, the rectorship remained 
vacant until Easter of 1873, when the Rev. James S. 
Ellis, of Delaware, was appointed rector and missionary, 
who continued in office until July 1, 1874, when the 
house was closed for some months. Rev. Mr. Cocroft 
commenced his labors in the spring of the present year. 

ALL SAINTS PARISH, PONTIAC,* 

This parish was organized April 9, 1869, when the 
following officers were elected : Senior Warden, Stephen 
N. Bourne ; Junior Warden, John P. Olney ; Treasurer, 
John F. Knowles; Clerk, John P. Olney; Vestrymen, 
Samuel Black, Samuel Preston, Henry Owen, John 
Gildard, Edwin R. Knight, William Wooley, Isaiah 
Wilde, Thomas Evans, Charles S. Robinson, William A. 
Corey, John F. Knowles. 

The services of the Protestant Episcopal Church were 
held in All Saints Chapel for the first time on Sunday, 
April 1, the Rev. L. Sears, of St. Bartholomew's Church, 
Cranston, reading as far as the creed, and the Rev. 
Robert Paul], of St. Philips Church, Crompton, the 
remainder of the service, the sermon being preached by 
the Rev. D. O. Kellogg, of Grace Church, Providence. 

The first rector, the Rev. E. H. Porter, commenced his 
labors in the parish July 4. There were then found to 
be but five regular communicants of the Protestant 
Episcopal Church connected with the parish, though at 
the first administration of the sacrament of the Lord's 
Supper, there were fifteen participants, most of whom 
were members of other evangelical churches. 



* The account of this church is furuished by John P. Olney, clerk. 



METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCHES. 77 

After a year of remarkable growth and prosperity, the 
Rev. Mr. Porter resigned the rectorsliip of the parish in 
July, 1870, which resignation took effect October 1. 

The Rev. H. K. Browse, formerly of Pennsylvania, was 
the next rector, remaining in the parish until September 
4, 1872, when his ill-health compelled him to give up his 
pastoral work an 'I send in his resignation 

Rev. Wm. H. Williams took charge of the parish in 
December, 1872, and remained till April 1, 1875. 

The number of regular communicants actually resident 
in the parish April 1, 1875, is 36. The Sunday School 
numbers 102. The amount of funds raised for the sup- 
port of public worship, and other church and Sunday 
School purposes, during the year ending April 1, 1875, 
was 11,488 14. 

The Messrs. B. B. & R. Knight, of Providence, ten- 
dered to the parish in 1869, for church purposes, a room 
neatly fitted up with sittings and chancel furniture, and 
also a dwelling for its rector, both free of rental, and 
also have always been liberal subscribers to the fund for 
the minister's salary. 

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCHES. 

There are two flourishing churches of the Methodist 
denomination in the town, both having their origin in 
the earl}^ part of the present century, but the writer has 
not been successful in obtaining official accounts of either. 
One of them, which is probably the older, is located in 
the village of Centreville, and the other at Pheiiix. 
They were supplied for many years, or as late as the 
year 1825, and perhaps later, by circuit preachers only, 
and the records of that period are not in possession of 
these churches. The " Warwick Circuit " included not 
only these villages, but also those of East Greenwich, 
Wickford, PlainMeld, Conn., and other places, and the 
preachers were accustomed to pass from one to the other 
in rotation, on horseback, preaching in school-houses and 
private dwellings as they had opportunity. In 1830-1, 



7S CHURCHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 

the church at Centreville built their meeting-house, and 
ten years later the church at Phenix were also in posses- 
sion of a house of worship. But the records of both, 
as I am informed, for many years subsequent to these 
dates, are not now in their possession, nor do they know 
what has become of them. . Many interesting items con- 
nected with their origin and progress would have been 
gathered from the older members and presented in this 
connection, but for the expectation cherished to the latest 
moment, that they would be furnished in connection 
with such information as could be obtained from existing 
records by some one connected with the churches who is 
more thoroughly conversant with their histor3^ 

SECOND ADVENT CHURCHES. 

There are two churches of this order in the town, the 
older one located in the village of Arctic, and the other 
at Natick. The church at Arctic held its meetings at 
first in Odd Fellows' Hall, in the 3^ear 1858. The meet- 
ings were conducted by Elder George Champlaiu, a 
colored preacher, who was for about fifteen years the 
pastor of the Warwick and East Greenwich Free- Will 
Baptist Church on the Plains. He was assisted by Elder 
E. Bellows. The meetings at the hall resulted in the 
conversion of quite a number of persons, fourteen of 
whom were baptized by Elder Champlain on the 26th of 
February, 1858, and sixteen on March 14 following. On 
the evening of April 6, a church was organized at the 
house of Josiah Taylor, consisting of twelve persons. 
After the organization, Josiah Taylor and William Smith 
were chosen deacons, and John P. Babcock clerk and 
treasurer. Elder Champlain was chosen pastor. 

It was arranged to have public religious services every 
third Sabbath at Odd Fellows' Hall. The business and 
covenant meetings were usually held at the house of 
Deacon Taylor. On the evening of August 14, 1858, 
Elder Champlain's resignation of the pastorate was 
accepted, and Elder E. Bellows was chosen his successor. 



CATHOLIC Churches. 79 

On October 15, 1858, Alanson Wright was chosen deacon 
in place of Deacon Smith, who had resigned to go to 
another part of the country. On November 6, 1858, A. 
C. Greene was chosen clerk, in place of John P. 
Babcock, resigned. 

At a meeting held February 26, 1860, the subject of 
building a house of worship was considered. It was 
ascertained that about $600 had been subscribed for this 
6bject, and by vote of the church it was decided to pur- 
chase of Mr. Alexander Allen, for the sum of illOO, a 
piece of land 65 feet front by 120 feet deep, as a site for 
the building ; that the house should be 31 feet by 46 
feet, 14 feet posts. C. Spencer, Isaac Andrews and 
Alanson Wright were appointed a building committee, 
with instructions "to erect the house immediately. The 
land was accordingly purchased of Mr. Allen and the 
house built. The first meeting — one for business — was 
held in it on the evening of May 12, 1860. At a meet- 
ing held October 19, 1862, Rice Knight, Elisha B. Card 
and Oliver Crandall were chosen deacons. The last 
meeting, the proceedings of which were recorded upon 
the church book, was held December 19, 1863, at which 
time it was voted to give up the forenoon services and 
substitute the Sabbath School. Elder Augustus Durfee 
has been the pastor for some years past, preaching one 
Sabbath per month. The church has not been able to 
support a pastor much of the time, and it has been fre- 
quently without a regular pastor, depending upon such 
supplies as they were able to procure. 

The church at Natick was organized May 24, 1874, 
with twenty members. The present number is twenty- 
three. Spencer H. Shippee and Silas Mitchell were 
chosen deacons. They hold their meetings in Smith's 
Hall. Elder Elisha B. Card is the pastor and clerk. 

CATHOLIC CHUECHES. 

The following communication respecting the churches 
of this order in Crompton and Phenix is from Rev. Mr. 



80 CHURCHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 



Gibson, the esteemed pastor of the Cathohc Church in 
the former village : 

Crompton, Oct. 14, 1875. 
Reverend Sib — 

In response to your expressed desire for some infor- 
mation respecting the progress of CathoUcity in Cromp- 
ton, or in my parish, I have collected a few facts and 
items which I submit to you, hoping they may be of 
service in the correct compilation of the work you are 
preparing for publication. 

I cannot better commence to narrate the few facts and 
items I have collected in reference to the history of the 
Catholic Church in Crompton, than by referring to a 
work entitled " Sketches of the Establishment of the 
Church in New England," published in 1872 by Rev. 
James Fitton, the first pastor of the church in Crompton, 
and by whom the first church was commenced on Sep- 
tember 23, 1844. It relates in condensed form nearly 
all the important matter concerning its establishment, 
and I will quote entire the " Sketch " under the heading 
of the Church of our Lady of Mount Carmel, Crompton : 

" Apart from Pawtucket, the largest number of the faithful 
in any town contiguous to the city, and who were considered 
as belonging to the charge of Sb. Peter and Paul, Providence, 
were at Cromi^ton. This place having been attended monthly, 
and the hard-working and industrious operatives in the factory, 
among whom were those having families of little ones, being 
anxious to have a place where they might assemble on Sundays, 
and willing to contribute according to their means, an acre of 
land was secured September 23, li'4:4. A small church, a 
frame building, was immediately erected, and as the location 
selected was on the hill side of the village, overlooking the 
country for miles distant, it was styled the ' Church of our 
Lady of Mount Carmel.' 

The congregation of Crompton and its neighborhood Nvas 
confided to the special care of Rev. James Gibson, who attended 
occasionally, as his duties at olher stations permitted, till 
August, 18'51, when assuming its sole charge he added seven 
and three-quarters acres to the original purchase, thus making 
eight acres and three-quarters of land, all enclosed within a 
substantial stoue wall. Besides which, for the better accom- 
modation of the congregation, he has added twenty by tifty- 
eight to the church, making it one hundred and eight by fifty 



CATHOLIC CHURCHES. 61 



feet, independent of Sanctuary and Sacristy, twenty by twenty- 
one, and its tower twelve by twelve, square, and forty-five feet 
high, with a sweet-toned bell of over 1400 pounds weight. He 
has al?o built a pastoral residence of thirty by twenty-eight 
feet, tastefully and conveniently arranged, and a school-house, 
eighteen bj'^ forty feet, wherein to gather the little ones of his 
spiritual charge. 

He has also lately secured, on what is known as Birch Hill, 
a very fine building, over thirty-one by forty-five feet, erected 
originally for a select high school, which he has converted into 
a neat little church, with its porch of eight by ten and sacristy 
twelve by fifteen feet." 

The aboye is a very clear and correct statement, and 
there is little to be added up to the time of the publica- 
tion of the " Sketches." I would, however, remark that 
the immediate successor of Rev. James Fitton was Rev. 
Edward Putnam, aud one or two others, who occasion- 
ally attended the Crompton church, until tlie appoint- 
ment of Rev. D. Kelly, who was the first local, resident 
priest, and remained in Crompton about nine months, 
when he was removed and the present pastor assumed 
the charge. 

Since 1844 there has been much progress, and many 
improvements in the foregoing sketch. The original 
parish under the charge of one priest only, has increased 
to such an extent, that it has been divided into five sepa- 
rate parishes, each one with its handsome church and 
resident priest. 

Besides the church of St. James in Birch Hill, in 1870, 
two acres of laud was purchased in Centreville for 
the erection of a central church at some future time. 
There is a fine Hall on the grounds, which at present is 
used for meetings of St. Mary's Brass Band, St. Mary's 
Temperance Society and other public meetings and social 
gatherings. 

The Cemetery, too, adjoining the Crompton church 
deserves especial mention. It has been extensively en- 
larged, improved and adorned in various ways, so that 
what was originally a crude mass of stones and natural 
rubbish, has become a lovely retreat, and a beautiful 
place of christian burial. 



82 CHURCHES OF WARWICK, R. I. 

There have been other minor improvements, but suf- 
ficient has been mentioned to show the wonderful pro- 
gress of the Catholic church in Crompton since the erec- 
tion of the " small church " on the hill- side of the village. 
Respectfully, 

J. P. Gibson. 

PHENIX CATHOLIC PARISH. 

This flourishing parish, once a part only of the Cromp- 
ton church was made into a separate parish in 1858 and 
placed in the charge of Rev. Dr. Wallace, now pastor of 
St. Michael's church, Providence. He remained there 
about seven years. During the first year or two, the 
cathoUc church there was a small building called the Rock 
Chapel, being built on a solid rock foundation. It was 
formerly an Episcopal chapel, and was purchased by Rev. 
J. P. Gibson of Mr. Benjamin C. Harris for the purpose of 
converting it into a Catholic chapel. Mr. Harris very 
generously gave the foundation and ground around, and 
made no charge except a moderate one for the building 
alone. But this chapel very soon was inadequate to the 
wants of the increasing number of parishioners, and Dr. 
Wallace sold it, and purchased of the Baptist society the 
church now under the charge of Rev. John Couch, who 
resides in Phenix, and has been pastor there since the 
removal of Dr. Wallace. J. P. G. 

In addition to the foregoing, for the accommodation of 
the large number of French Catholics, a large and hand- 
some church edifice was erected last year near the Cen- 
treville railroad station, 112 x 60, which is not yet com- 
pletely finished ; the large and convenient vestry being 
at present used for religious services. It is called St. 
John's church, and Rev. Henry Spruyt is the pastor in 
charge. 

At Natick, too, within the past three years, a church 
has been erected to accommodate the catholic residents of 
that village, and the resident pastor. Rev. Mr. Reviere, 



SUMMARY. 83 



preaches to two distinct congregations at different parts 
of the day — to one in English and to the other in the 
French language. 

There has also within the past year, been erected in 
Apponaug a neat church by Rev. Wm. Halligan, of 
Greenwich. These comprise the five Catholic parishes 
of this town. 

SUMMAEY. 

Of the twenty-eight churches that have existed in this 
town since its settlement in 1642, five have become ex- 
tinct. Of those still existing, three are of the Six Prin- 
ciple Baptist order ; four are Baptist; two Free Baptist ; 
one Congregationalist ; one Friends ; one New Jerugalem ; 
two Methodists ; two Adventists ; two Episcopalian, and 
five Roman Catholic ; making the present number twenty- 
three. Besides these, there have been several mission 
stations established, for longer or shorter periods, and 
several halls have been used at different times for reli- 
gious services. 



■J 

I 



MARRIAGES 



ELDER JOHN GORTON, 



OV WARWICK. 



The list of marriages by Elder John Gorton of Warwick, cover 
a period from January 1, 1754, to May 4, 1792. The list as here 
given was printed in a newspaper, the Pawtuxet Valley Gleaner, 
published at Riverpoint, R. I., during the summer and fall of 
1879. In his introduction to the first portion the editor said : 
"They are 281 in number. The names of the parties married 
and the dates of their marriages Avere recorded in this book by 
Mr. Gorton, who is supposed to have been the only Elder residing 
in Warwick at that time. He was pastor of the Six Principle 
Baptist Church, and lived in a gambrel roof house, now stand- 
ing, and located near the East Greenwich line, on the main 
road leading from Apponaug to Greenwich." The value of this 
list as a contribution to the history of the people of the town of 
Warwick is apparent at a glance. 

Anthony Low and Phebe Greene, both of Warwick, married 
January 1, 1754. 

Peleg Rice and Annie Remington, both of Warwick, married 
May 19, 1754. 

Samuel Sweet and Mercy Potter, both of Warwick, married 
September 23, 1754. 

Stephen Greene and Mary Rhodes, both of Warwick, married 
October 24, 1754. 



86 



MARRIAGES BY ELDER JOHN GORTON. 



Caleb Hill, of North Kingstown, and Mercy Stafford, daughter 
of Stutely Stafford, deceased, of Warwick, married March 23, 
1755. 

Peter Levalley and Mary Haines, both of Warwick, married 
May 11, 1755. 

John Low and Sarah Wicks, both of Warwick, married October 

26, 1755. 

John Healy, of Providence, and Ellis Lockwood of Warwick, 
married July 25, 1756. 

James Warner and llebeckah Low, both of Warwick, married 
January 6, 1757. 

Benjamin Spencer, sou of Walter, of East Greenwich, and 
Sarah Low, of Warwick, married January 20, 1757. 

Charles Holdea and Hannah Martin, both of Warwick, married 
January 23, 1757. 

Pardon Daly, alias Ralph, and Mary Hathaway, both of War- 
wick, married March 2, 1758. 

Joseph Wickes and Bridget Price, both of Warwick, married 
June 22, 1758. 

Peleg Salisbury, of Cranston, and Mercy Sweet, of AVarwick, 
married December 14, 1758. 

George Wightman, Jr., of Warwick, and Rachel Wood, of East 
Greenwich, married February 11, 1759. 

Thomas Remington, sou of Daniel, of Warwick, and Freelove 
Nichols, of East Greenwich, married in East Greenwich, August 
23, 1759. 

William Soul and Susauna Stafford, daughter of Joseph Staf- 
ford, Jr., of East Greenwich, married in Greenwich, September 

27, 1759. 

Bartholomew Hunt, of North Kingstown, and Phebe Clark, of 
Warwick, married December 30, 1759. 

John Spencer, son of Richard, and Experience Lyon, daughter 
of John Lyon, both of East Greenwich, married in Greenwich, 
February 21, 1760. 

William Cowper, son of James Cowper, Jr., deceased, and 
Thankful Davis, daughter of Samuel Davis, both of East Green- 
wich, married in Greenwich, March 20, 1760. 



MARRIAGES BY ELDER JOHN GORTON 87 

William Hookey, son of Stephen Hookey, of Newport, and 
Mary Wiglitman, daughter of George Wightman, of North Kings- 
town, married in said Kingstown, April 17, 1760. 

Hopkins Cook, son of Ebenezer Cook, and Annie Arnold, 
daughter of John Arnold, both of East Greenwich, married July 
31, 1700. 

Smitera Wilcox and Bethany Tallraan, both of Warwick, mar- 
ried September 22, 17G0. 

Nicholas Simmons and Elizabeth Bacheldor, both of East 
Greenwich, married November 6, 17G0. 

Samuel Wightman and Amy Laton, both of East Greenwich, 
married December 4, 17G0. 

Caleb Bentley and Martha Foster, daughter of Thomas Poster, 
of Warwick, married June 14, 1761. 

Thomas Boorman and Sarah Stafford, both of East Green- 
wich, married August 2, 1761. 

Joseph Whitford and Desire Havens, both of Warwick, married 
October 9, 1761. 

Thomas Stafford, of Warwick, and Rebeckah Hill, daughter of 
Thomas Hill, of North Kingstown, married in said Kingstown, 
February 4, 1762. 

Thomas Tillinghast, son of Philip Tillinghast, of East Green- 
wich, and Mary Hill, daughter of Thomas Hill, of North Kings- 
town, married in said Kingstown, May 27, 1762. 

Benjamin Bently and Barbara Pearce, bothof East Greenwich, 
married November 21, 1762. 

Robert Brattle, of Newport, and Susanna Pearce, of East 
Greenwich, married in said Greenwich, January 2, 1763. 

David Corpes and Susanna Essex, both of Warwick, married 
February 6, 1763. 

Benjamin Wood, of East Greenwich, and Margaret Price, of 
Warwick, married March 13, 1763, 

Gideon Spencer and Phebe Burlingame, both of East Green- 
wich, married in East Greenwich, July 24, 1763. 

John Lille and Hannah Mott, daughter of Stephen Mott, both 
of East Greenwich, married in Greenwich, November 24, 1763. 



88 MARRIAGES BY ELDER JOHN GORTON. 

Henry Tibbitts, son of Henry Tibbitts, and Hannah Reming- 
ton, daughter of Thomas Remington, both of Warwich, married 
December 15, 17G3. 

Tones Rice, son of Randall Rice, and Susanna Havens, 
daughter of Alexander Havens, deceased, both of Warwick, mar- 
ried February 16, 1764. 

Jonathan Nillse, son of Samuel Nillse, of West Greenwich, and 
Avice Rice, daughter of Henry Rice, of Warwick, married Feb- 
ruary 23, 1764. 

Sawdey Rouse and Hannah Sweet, both of East Greenwich, 
mai'ried in Warwick, April 8, 1764. 

Thomas Gorton, of West Greenwich, son of Benjamin, and 
Susanna Pearce, daughter of Capt. John Pearce, of East Green- 
wich, married in Warwick, May 27, 1764. 

William Warner, son of John Warner, and Waity Sweet, 
daughter of William Sweet, of East Greenwich, married in War- 
wick, Julys, 1764. 

John Glaiser and Freelove Sherman, daughter of Benoni Sher- 
man, of East Greenwich, married in said Greenwich, September 
2, 1764. 

William Havens, son of Alexander Havens, deceased, and 
Deliverance StaflFord, daughter of Joseph Stafford, Jr., both of 
Warwick, married in Warwick, September 9, 1764. 

William Wood, son of William, of Scituate, and Lydia Dowd, 
of Warwick, married in Greenwich, October 31, 1764. 

Thomas Wilbour, son of Thomas Wilbour, of Swansey, in 
county of Bristol, and Mary Gorton, daughter of Samuel Gorton, 
doctor, of Warwick, married in Warwick, December 2, 1764. 

Mial Salisbury, son of Martin Salisbury, of Cranston, and Ruth 
Greene, daughter of Deacon Thomas Greene, of Warwick, mar- 
ried in Warwick, December 9, 1764. 

Waterman Tibbitts, son of Henry Tibbitts, and Mercy Water- 
terman, daughter of John Waterman, deceased, both of War- 
wick, married December 13, 1764. 

John Bently, of Exeter, and Lucy Vanghn, of East Greenwich, 
married in Greenwich, April 28, 1765. 

William Arnold, son of John Arnold, of East Greenwich, and 
Alse Wilcox, daughter of Stephen Wilcox, of Warwick, married 
May 2, 1765. 



MARRIAGES BY ELDER JOHN GORTON. 89 

Jonathan Bennett, son of William, of East Greenwich, and Alse 
Greene, daughter of Nathaniel Greene, of Coventry, married in 
Warwick, May 12, 1765. 

David Arnold, son of Josias Arnold, deceased, and Waity Llp- 
pitt, daughter of Moses Lippitt, both of Warwick, married in 
Warwick, August 29, 1765. 

Stutely Wickes, son of Benjamin Wickes, deceased, and Eliza- 
beth Greene, daughter of Deacon Thomas Greene, botli of War- 
wick, married December 26, 1765. 

Oliver Gardner, son of Isaac Gardner, of East Greenwich, 
deceased, and Mercy Gorton, daughter of William Gorton, of 
Warwick, married September 25, 1766. 

Joseph Mott, son of Stephen Mott, and Martha Spencer, 
daughter of Thomas Spencer, both of East Greenwich, married 
July 7, 1768. 

llichard Essex, son of Hugh Essex, of Warwick, and Mary 
Aylesvvorth, daughter of Arthur Aylesworth, of North Kings- 
town, married in said Kingstown, July 24, 1768. 

Jeremiah Aylesworth, son of Arthur Aylesworth, and Phebe 
Allen, daughter of Jonathan Allen, both of North Kingstown, 
married in said Kingstown, July 24, 1768. 

Richard Fry, son of Thomas Fry, and Sarah Arnold, daughter 
of John Arnold, both of East Greenwich, married in said Green- 
wich, August 14, 1768. 

Benjamin Tiffing, son of Benjamin Tiffing, of Warwick, and 
Mary Oliu, daughter of Henry Oliu, of West Greenwich, married 
November 6, 1768. 

John Allen, son of Thomas Allen, and Mary Gould, daughter 
of Daniel Gould, deceased, both of North Kingstown, married iu 
said Kingstown, January 26, 1769. 

William Rice, son of Thomas Rice, and Mayplet Remington, 
daughter of Thomas Remington, both of Warwick, married Jan- 
uary 29, 1769. 

Robert Reynolds, son of Robert Reynolds, of Exeter, and 
Annie Reynolds, daughter of James Reynolds, deceased, of East 
Greenwich, married in said Greenwich, Feb. 15, 1769. 

Holden Rhodes, son of Holdeu Rhodes, and Susanna Wall, 
daughter of John Wall, both of Warwich, married March 12, 
1769. 



90 MARRIAGES BY ELDER JOHN GORTON. 

"William Wood, sou of William, and Ruth Gortou, daughter of 
Samuel Gorton, (doctor), both of Warwick, married July 5, 17G9. 

William Vaughn, son of George Vaughn, and Elizebeth Hack- 
stone, daughter of Thomas Hackstone, deceased, both of East 
Greenwich, married in said Greenwich, December 17, 1769. 

Elder James Wightman, son of John Wightman, deceased, and 
Susanna Eldred, daughter of William Eldred, both of East Green- 
wich, married in said Greenwich, January 5, 1770. 

William Giles and Lydia Hazard, both of Warwick, married 
June 24, 1770. 

Job Pierce, son of Capt. John Pierce, and Temperance Greene, 
both of East Greenwich, married in said Greenwich, July 1, 1770. 

Jonathan Greene, son of James Greene, of Coventry, and 
Lydia Nichols, daughter of Jonathan Nichols, both of East 
Greenwich, maiTied in said Greenwich, October 7, 1770. 

Henry Albro, son of Samuel, and Abigal Albro, daughter of 
John Albro, married September 29, 1771. 

Stephen Greene, son of Elisha Greene, of East Greenwich, and 
Elizabeth Wightman, daughter of George Wightman, of North 
Kingstown, married in said Kingstown, December 1, 1771. 

James Tripp, son of Israel Tripp, of Warwick, and Mercy 
Clark, of said Warwick, married in Warwick, January 30, 1772. 

George Tillinghast, son of Philip Tillinghast, of East Green- 
wich, and Mary Greene, daughter of Job Greene, of Coventry, 
married in Coventry, May 28, 1772. 

George Nichols, son of Jonathan Nichols, of East Greenwich, 
and Rachel Allen, daughter of Robert Allen, deceased, of War- 
wick, married August 16, 1772. 

Henry Reynolds, son of Henry Reynolds, of West Greenwich, 
and Jemima Wightman, daughter of George Wightman, of War- 
wick, married September 27, 1772. 

Welcome Arnold, son of Jonathan Arnold, of Smithfield, and 
Patience Greene, daughter of Capt. Samuel Greene, deceased, of 
Warwick, married February 11, 1773. 

Benjamin Vaughn, son of Samuel, of East Greenwich, and 
Mary Bennett, daughter of William Bennett, of Warwick, mar- 
ried March 14, 1773. 

Arthur King, and Eunice Allen, both of East Greenwich, mar- 
ried April 4, 1773. 



A 



MARRIAGES BY ELDER JOHN GORTON. 91 

William Greene, son of Rnfns Greene, and Mary Sheffield, 
daughter of Caleb Sheffield, both of East Greenwich, married in 
said Greenwich, April 18, 1773. 

Stephen Pierce, son of Thomas, and Lydia Rice, daughter of 
Peleg Rice, both of East Greenwich, married iu said Greenwich, 
April 25, 1773. 

Gideon Casey, son of Gideon Casey, and Mehitabel Baker, 
daughter of Johu Baker; of Glocester, both of Warwick, married 
April 25, 1773. 

Thomas Fry, son of Thomas Fry, Jr., and Mary Pearce, daugh- 
ter of Thomas Pearce, both of East Greenwich, in the county of ^ 
Kent and colony of Rhode Island, married in said Greenwich, 
July 25, 1773. 

Randall Rice, son of Nathan, and Rebekah Mendon, both of 
Warwick, married October 6, 1773. 

Augustus Mumford, son of William Mumford, and Ruth Fry, 
daughter of John Fry, deceased, both of East Greenwich, mar- 
ried December 25, 1773. 

Joseph Joslyn and Hope Campbell, both of East Greenwich, 
married in said Greenwich, January 11, 1774. 

Francis Cory, son of William Cory, and Hannah Soul, daughter 
of Samuel Soul, both of East Greenwich, married in said Green- 
wich, March 27, 1774. 

Nathaniel Greene, son of Nathaniel Greene, of Warwick, in the 
county of Kent and colony of Rhode Island, and Catherine Little- 
field, daughter of John Littlefield, of New Shoreham, in the 
county of Newport, married July 20, 1774. 

Thomas Healey, son of Joseph Healey, of East Greenwich, 
deceased, and Penelope Mott, daughter of Stephen Mott, mar- 
ried June 11, 1775. 

Giles Pierce, son of Thomas Pierce, of East Greenwich, and 
Elizabeth Pierce, daughter of Caleb Pierce, of Warwick, deceased, 
married October 13, 1775. 

John Singer Dexter, of Cumberland, in county of Providence, 
and Mary Pearce, daughter of Major Preserved Pearce, both of 
East Greenwich, married in said Greenwich, November 2, 1775. 

Samuel Millard, of Warwick, son of Nathaniel Millard, de- 
ceased, and Sarah Jerauld, daughter of Doctor Dutee Jerauld, of 
Warwick, married January 29, 1776. 



w 



92 MARRIAGES BY ELDER JOHN GORTON. 

James Murray, of East Greenwich, and Elizabeth Scranton, 
daughter of Daniel Scranton, of Warwick, married February 13, 
1776. 

John Shaw, Jr., sou of Johu Shaw, of East Greenwich, and 
Sarah Pratt, daughter of Jedediah Pratt, married Augusts, 1776. 

Robert Spencer, son of Caleb Spencer, of East Greenwich, 
and Ruth Shaw, daughter of Johu Shaw, married in Greenwich, 
September 9, 1776. 

Ezra Simraous, of Swanzey, in Massachusetts, son of Bial 
Simmons, and Susanna Burlingame, daughter of Josias Bur- 
lingame, deceased, both of East Greenwich, married in said 
Greenwich, November 6, 1776. 

Arnold Stafford, son of Capt. Joseph Stafford, and Phebe 
Sprague, daughter of Rowland Sprague, both of East Greenwich, 
married in Greenwich, December 2, 1766. 

Samuel Pierce, son of Samuel Pierce, and Hannah Jerauld, 
daughter of Dutee Jerauld, both of Warwick, married December 
22, 1776. 

Philip Pierce, son of John Pierce, and Mary Mumford, daugh- 
ter of Stephen Mumford, both of East Greenwich, married in said 
Greenwich, February 20, 1777. 

Chandler Burlingame. son of Josias Burliugame, deceased, and 
Sarah Henshaw', daughter of Samuel Henshaw, deceased, both 
of East Greenwich, married in said Greenwich, March 26, 1777. 

Benedict Arnold, son of Stephen Arnold, of Warwick, and 
Lydia Weaver, daughter of George Weaver, of East Greenwich, 
married in said Greenwich, April 6, 1777. 

Thomas Rice, son of Thomas Rice, and Rosanna Blanchard, 
daughter of John Blanchard, deceased, both of Warwick, mar- 
ried April 17, 1777. 

William Tallman, sou of James Tallman, of Warwick, and 
Desire Clark, daughter of Benjamin Clark, of East Greenwich, 
married in said Greenw'ich, July 3, 1777. 

William Sprague, son of Rowland Sprague, of East Greenwich, 
and Hannah Jenkins, married in said Greenwich, September 14, 
1777. 

Slade Gorton, son of Samuel Gorton, of Warwick, deceased, 
and Mary Whitford, daughter of George Whitford, married 
December 11, 1777. 



MARRIAGES BY ELDER JOHN GORTON. 93 

John Allen, son of William Allen, of Dartmouth, Mass , and 
Sally Lanforcl, daughter of Thomas Lanford, of East Greenwich, 
married in said Greenwicli, December 18, 1777. 

Joseph Manchester, son of Matthew Manchester, of North 
Kingstown, and Mary Arnold, daughter of Stephen Arnold, of 
Warwick, married December 21, 1777. 

Rejoice Bryan, son of Stephen Bryan, of Bermuda, and Asenah 
Spencer, daughter of Thomas Spencer, of East Greenwich, mar- 
ried in Greenwich, December 23, 1777. 

Edward Pierce, sou of John Pierce, aud WaityBriggs, both of 
East Greenwich, married February 8, 1778. 

Gorton Jerauld, son of Dr. Dutee Jerauld, and Phebe Rice, 
daughter of Henry Rice, both of Warwick, married February 22, 
1778. 

Major Samuel Ward, son of Hon. Samuel Ward, late of West- 
erly, deceased, and Phebe Greene, daughter of William Greene, 
of Warwick, married March 8, 1778. 

Caleb Stutson, son of Jedediah Stutson, and Abigail Walker, 
daughter of John Walker, both of Warwick, married March 12, 
1778. 

William Searle, son of Capt. Richard Searle, of Cranston, and 
Catherine Greene, daughter of Capt. Benjamin Greene, of War- 
wick, married in said Cranston, April 23, 1778. 

Jonathan Salisbury, son of Jonathan Salisbury, of Scituate, 
deceased, and Sarah Soul, daughter of Samuel Soul, both of East 
Greenwich, married in Greenwich, June 14, 1778. 

Capt. Abijah Lewis, of Hopkinton, son of Nathaniel Lewis, of 
Charleston, deceased, and Mary Fry, widow of the late Thomas 
Fry, and daughter of Thomas Pierce, of East Greenwich, mar- 
ried June 21, 1778. 

John Little, son of William Little, of South Kingstown, and 
Mary Pierce, daughter of Daniel Pierce, of East Greenwich, 
married in said Greenwich, August 8, 1778. 

Joseph Arnold, son of Caleb Arnold, and Sarah Stafford, 
daughter of Stutely Stafford, both of Warwick, married Septem- 
ber G, 1778. 

Christopher Weaver, son of Peleg Weaver, of East Greenwich, 
and Phebe Greene, daughter of Ebenezer Greene, deceased, of 
Warwick, married October 25, 1778. 



I 



94 MARRIAGES BY ELDER JOHX GORTON. 

Charles Greene, sou of Ilufus Greeue, of East Greeuwich, and 
Phebe Sheffield, of Warwick, daughter of Benjamin Sheffield, of 
Jamestown, deceased, married December 6, 1778. 

Lieut. Edward Slocura, son of Ebenezer Slocura, of Tiverton, 
in Newport county, and Almy Lawton, daughter of Isaac Law- 
ton, deceased, of East Greenwich, married in said Greenwich, 
December 30, 1778. 

Lieut. Daniel Pierce, son of Thomas Pierce, and Lucy Bent' 
ley, daughter of William Beutley, both of East Greenwich, mar- 
ried in said Greenwich, January 10, 1770. 

Solomon Wanton, of Tiv^erton, Newport county, and Hannah 
Eranck, of Johnston, Providence county, married January 14, 
1779. 

Benjamin Franck, (Negro soldier), and Sarah Wilbour, both 
of Johnston, Providence county, married January 31, 1779. 

Gideon Manchester, son of Matthew Manchester, of North 
Kingstown, and Elizabeth Levalley, daughter of Peter Levalley, 
of Warwick, married March 28, 1779. 

Stephen Greene, son of Rufus Greene, and Patience Wall, 
daughter of William Wall, deceased, both of East Greenwich, 
married April 11, 1779. 

Asahel Hooker, son of John Hooker, in the Centennial Bat- 
talion, and Almy Godfrey, daughter of John Godfrey, deceased, 
of East Greenwich, married April 11, 1779. 

John Wilson, sou of Jeremiah Wilson, deceased, of South 
Kingstown, Kings county, and Thankful Cooper, widow, daugh- 
ter of Samuel Davis, of East Greenwich, married in said Green- 
wich, May 9, 1779. 

Nicholas Arnold, son of .Joseph Arnold, of Warwick, and Han- 
nah "Vaughn, daughter of Christopher Vaughn, of East Green- 
wich, married in said Greenwicli, June 24, 1779. 

Edward Sweeden, son of Caleb Sweeden, and Naomi Sweet, 
daughter of Mrs. Anna Sweet, both of East Greeuwich, married 
October 10, 1779. 

Thomas Pearce, son of Samuel Pearce, of Tolland, Conn., and 
Martha Jerauld, daughter of Dr. Dutee Jerauld, of Warwick, 
married October 10, 1779. 



/ 



d 



MARRIAGES BY ELDER JOHN GORTON. 95 

Philip Arnold, son of Benjamin Arnold, and Roby Gorton, 
daughter of Jonathan Gorton, both of Warwick, married Feb- 
ruary 3, 1780. 

Rhodes Greene, son of Stephen Greene, of Warwick, and Phebe 
Vaughn, daughter of Christopher Vaughn, of East Greenwich, 
married in said Greenwich, February G, 1780. 

Benjamin Gorton, son of Dr. Samuel Gorton, and Thankful 
Whitford, daughter of George Whitford, both of Warwick, mar- 
ried March 30, 1780. 

John Davis, son of William Davis, and Desire Scranton, 
daughter of Fones Scranton, of North Kingstown, both of East 
Greenwich, married iu said Greenwich, June 25, 1780. 

Stephen Briggs, sou of George Briggs, and Huldah Gorton, 
daughter of Nathan Gorton, both of Warwick, married August 
27, 1780. 

Caleb Westcott, son of Nathan Westcott, and Susanna Greene, 
daughter of Caleb Greene, both of Warwick, married September 
10, 1780. 

John Sprague, son of Rowland Sprague, and Deliverance 
Pearce, daughter of Daniel Pearce, both of East Greenwich, mar- 
ried in said Greenwich, September 24, 1780. 

Levi Peckham, son of Samuel Peckham, deceased, of Middle- 
town, Newport county, and Sarah Tripp, daughter of Samuel 
Tripp, of East Greenwich, married in said Greenwich, September 
24, 1780. 

Joseph E. Tillinghast, son of ElishaTillinghast, of Providence, 
deceased, and Miss Hermoiue Brown, of East Greenwich, daugh- 
ter of James Brown, of said Providence, deceased, maiTied iu 
Greenwich, December 5, 1780. 

John Remington, son of Thomas Remington, and Mary Til- 
linghast, daughter of Samuel Tillinghast, both of Warwick, mar- 
ried December 17, 1780. 

Samuel West, son of Samuel West, of Westerly, and Elizabeth 
Spencer, daughter of Milford Spencer, of East Greenwich, mar- 
ried in said Greenwich, January 17, 1781. 

Thomas Westcott, son of Nathan Westcott, and Mercy Arnold, 
daughter of Caleb Arnold, both of Warwick, married February 
4, 1781. 



96 MARRIAGES BY ELDER JOHN GORTON. 

Thomas Fostei-, son of Thomas Foster, deceased, of East 
Greenwich, and Alse Greene, widow of the late Amos Greene, 
and daughter of James TaUraan, of Warman, married March 18, 

1781. 

Samuel Allen of Pomfret, in county of Windham, in Connecti- 
cut, son of Caleb Allen, of Prudence, county of Newport, and 
Welthan Holden, daughter of Charles Iloldeu, Jr., of Warwick, 
married April 22, 1781. 

Heni-y Keynolds, son of Thomas Reynolds, of East Greenwich, 
and Millew Arnold, daughter of Mrs. Mary Arnold, of Warwick, 
married May 6, 1781. 

Benjamin Congdon, son of Joseph Congdon, and Sarah Hawks, 
daughter of Thomas Hawks, both of East Greenwich, married in 
said Greenwich, May 10, 1781. 

Prince Brown, of Coventry, (Negro), and Elizabeth Lovell, of 
Warwick, married October 3, 1781. 

Joseph Chace, son of Abraham Chace, of Warwick, and Lucy 
Arnold, daughter of Oliver Arnold, of East Greenwich, married 
December 16, 1781. 

James Greene, son of James Greene, of Nausauket, in Warwick, 
and Phebe Warner, daughter of Thomas Warner, deceased, mar- 
ried January 6, 1782. 

Caleb Sprague, son of Rowland Sprague, of East Greenwich, 
and Lois Cassel, daughter of John Cassel, of Warwick, married 
in said Greenwich, February 3, 1782. 

Thomas Hughes, son of Joseph Hughes, of Newport, and Wel- 
than Greene, daughter of Col. Christopher Greene, deceased, of 
Warwick, married in said Warwick, Februai-y 27, 1782. 

Edward Stafford, son of Stutely Stafford, of Warwick, and 
Almy Aldrich, of Cranston, married in said Cranston, March 21, 
1782. 

Olney Stone, son of John Stone, deceased, and Phebe Arnold, 
daughter of Simeon Arnold, both of Warwick, married April 25, 
1782. 

Christopher Beutly, son of William Bently, and Elizabeth 
Mumford, daughter of Stephen Mumford, both of East Green- 
wich, married in Greenwich, July U, 1782. 



WM 



MARRIAGES BY ELDER JOHN GORTON. 97 

Samuel Itice, sou of Peleg Rice, and Eleanor Pearce, daughter 
of Daniel Pearce, both of East Greenwich, married in Green- 
wich, September 1, 1782. 

Jonathan Pearce, son of Daniel Pearce, and Elizabeth Coggs- 
hall, daughter of Benjamin Coggshall, both of East Greenwich, 
married in Greenwich, September 1, 1782. 

Earle Morey, son of John Morey, of North Kingstown, and 
Mary Gorton, daughter of William Gorton. Jr., of Warwick, mar- 
ried September I, 1782. 

Hezekiah Gorton, of Voluntowu, Conn., son of Joseph Gorton, 
of Warwick, and Mrs. Asa Potter, of Warwick, married Septem- 
ber 12, 1782. 

Joseph Gorton, son of Nathan Gorton, and Cynthia Havens, 
daughter of William Havens, both of Warwick, married Septem- 
ber 15, 1782. 

Henry Rice, sou of Henry Rice, and Susanna Jerauld, daughter 
of Dr. Dutee Jerauld, both of Warwick, married September 22, 
1782. 

Daniel Wightman, son of Elisha Wightmau, and Lydia Car- 
penter, daughter of Wilber Carpenter, both of Warwick, mar- 
ried October 6, 1782. 

Thomas Warner, son of Thomas Warner, deceased, and Mary 
Hill, daughter of Nathaniel Hill, deceased, both of Warwick, 
married November 24th, 1782. 

Charles Lippitt, son of Christopher Lippitt, of Cranston, de- 
ceased, and Penelope Low, daughter of Col. John Low, of 
Warwick, married January 12th, 1783. 

Spicer Miller, son of Nathaniel Miller, and Elizabeth Fairbanks, 
daughter of Jonathan Fairbanks, both of Warwick, married 
January 30th. 1783. 

Nathaniel Stone, son of Samuel Stone, of (Cranston, and Mercy 
Gorton, daughter of William Gorton, jr., of Warwick, married 
March 23d, 1783. 

Job Laytou, sou of Isaac Laytou, of East Greenwich, and 
Barbara Johnson, daughter of Eliza Johnson, married in said 
Greenwich, May 15th, 1783. 

James Miller, son of Nathan Miller, of Warwick, deceased, 
and Betsey Burlingame, daughter of William Burlingame, de- 

B 



98 MARRIAGES BY ELDER JtDHN GORTON. 

ceased, of P^ast Greenwich, married in said Greenwicli, July 
31st, 1783. 

Peleg Weeden, sou of Caleb Weeden, and Sarali Boyd, daugh- 
ter of Andrew Boyd, of East Greenwich, married iu said Green- 
wich, August 31st, 1788. 

John Brushel and Darkis Fry, both of Warwick, married 
September 29th, 1 783. 

David Greene, son of Rufus Greene, of East Greenwich, and 
Euulce Hopkins, daughter of Jonathan Hoplvins, of Middletowu, 
in the county of Newport, married in said Middletown October 
30th, 1783. 

Prince Limas (Negro) and Mercy Austin. (Indian) both of 
East Greenwicii, married in said Greenwich November 30th, 1783. 

Christopher Potter, son of John Potter, and Elizabeth Baker, 
daughter of Oliver Baker, both of Warwick, married in said 
Warwick, December 14, 1783. 

Pero Mowry and Margaret Spencer, (blacks) both of East 
Greenwich, married in Greenwich, December 28th, 1783. 

Caleb Hill, son of Caleb Hill, of North Kingstown, and Sarah 
Greene, daughter of Thomas Greene, of Nausauket, in War- 
wick, married January 4th, 1784. 

John Bennett, of Warwick, and Sai-ah Burliugame, daughter 
of Edmou Burlingame, deceased, of Cranston, married in War- 
wick, February 24, 1784. 

John Weeden, son of Caleb Weeden, and Hannah Finney, 
daughter of Jabez Finney, both of East Greenwich, married in 
said Greenwich, February 29, 1784. 

Samuel Gould, son of John Gould, deceased, of Newport, and 
Sarah Ann Campbell, daughter of Archibald Campbell, of East 
Greenwich, married in said Greenwich, March 28, 1784. 

Edmund Arnold, son of Job Arnold, and Phebe Arnold, 
daughter of Philip Arnold, botii of Warwick, married May 2, 
1784. 

Reuben Arnold, son of James Arnold, deceased, of Warwick, 
and Phebe Johnson, daughter of Eliza Johnson, of East Green- 
wich, married July 2, 1784. 

Jonathan Tibbitts, son of Thomas Tibbitts, and Rebekah 
Tillinghast, daughter of Samuel Tilliughast, both of Warwick, 
married in said Warwick, July 2.5, 1784. 



MARRIAGES BY ELDER JOHN GORTON. 99 

Nicholas Greene, sou of Sylvester Greene, aud Elizal)elh 
Greeue, daughter of Dr. James Greeue, deceased, both of East 
Greenwich, married in said Greenwich, September 12, 1784. 

Philip Arnold, son of Philip Arnold, aud Dinah Kice, daughter 
of Oluey Kice, deceased, both of Warwick, married in said 
Warwick, September 20, 1784. 

Jonathan Andrews, sou of William Andrews, of Barriugtou, 
in county of Bristol, aud Susanna Miller, daughter of Nathan 
Miller, of Warwick, married in said Warwick, October 31, 1784. 

Giles Greene, son of Giles Greene, of Warwick, and Rhoda 
Aruold, daughter of William Arnold, jr., married January 6th, 
1785. 

Daniel Carpenter, son of Wilbur Carpenter, and Phebe Wight- 
mau, daughter of Eiisha Wightman, both of Warwick, married 
March 17th, 1785. 

Joseph Carder, son of John Carder, of Warwick, deceased, 
and Esther Sheldon, daughter of Elder Benjamin Sheldon, of 
Cranston, married March 27th, 1785. 

Thomas Hall, sou of Abiel Hall, and Mercy Rice, daughter of 
Fones Kice, both of East Greenwich, married insaidGi'eenwich, 
March 29th, 1785. 

Silas Baker, sou of Moses Baker, and Patieuce Brown, daugh- 
ter of Joseph Brown, both of Warwick, married in said War- 
wick, March 31st, 1785. 

Oluey Baker, and Sarah Arnold, daughter of Gideon Arnold, 
both of Warwick, married in Warwick, April 3d, 1785. 

John Joyce, son of John Joyce, deseased, aud Elizabeth Rem- 
ington, daughter of Thomas Remington, both of Warwick, 
married May 29th, 1785. 

Henry Remington, sou of Thomas Remington, and Margaret 
Levalley, daughter of Peter Levalley, both of Warwick, mar- 
ried September 18, 1 785. 

Jeremiah Bailey, son of William Bailey, of East Greenwich, 
and Roby Miller, daughter of Nathan Miller, of Warwick, mar- 
ried in Warwick, September 22, 1785. 

Charles Holden, son of John Holden, of Warwick, aud Mary 
Gorton, widow of Edward Gorton, jr., of said Warwick, de- 
ceased, daughter of Jabez Greene, of Warwick, deceased, mar- 
ried in Coventry, September 22, 1785. 



100 MARRIAGES BY ELDER JOHN GORTON. 

Isaac Pierce, son of Thomas Pierce, of East Greenwicli, and 
Sarah Vaughn, of East Greenwich, daugliter of George Vaughn, 
of Dauby, Vermont, married in Greenwich, September 27, 1785. 

Benjamin Weeden, son of Caleb Weeden, deceased, and Mary 
Smith, daughter of John Smith, both of East Greenwich, mar- 
ried in Greenwich, October 2, 1785. 

Richmond Springer, son of Lawrence Springer, of Tiverton, 
deceased, and Elizabeth Rhodes, daughter of Charles Rhodes, of 
Cranston, deceased, both of Warwick, married October 16, 1785. 

Thomas Bennett, son of Benjamin Bennett, and Mary Garzie, 
daughter of Capt. John Garzie, both of East Greenwich, mar- 
ried in Greenwich, November 17, 1785. 

William Gorton, son of Dr. Samuel Gorton, deceased, and 
Sarah Whitford, daughter of George Whitford, both of War- 
wick, married November 24, 1785. 

Daniel Wicks, son of Capt. Thomas Wicks, deceased, and 
Sarah Whitford, daughter of George Whitford, both of War- 
wick, married November 24, 1785. 

Dutee Weaver, aud Almy Andrews, daughter of Edmund An- 
drews, deceased, both of East Greenwich, married in Greenwich, 
November 28th, 1785. 

William Rice, sou of Olney Rice, deceased, and Tabitlia Bud- 
long, daughter of John Budlong, both of Warwick, married 
December 8th, 1785. 

Isaac Peckham, son of Joseph Peckham, of Middletowu, 
county of Newport, and Ruth Tripp, daughter of Samuel Tripp, 
of East Greenwich, married in Greenwich, December 9, 1785. 

Thomas Rice, son of Henry Rice, and Sarah Arnold, daughter 
of Philip Arnold, both of Warwick, married December 11, 1785. 

Moses Pierce, son of Thomas Pierce, and Sarah Bentley, 
daughter of Benjamin Bentley, deceased, both of East Green- 
wich, married in Greenwich, December 25, 1785. 

Samuel Sweet, son of Benjamin Sweet, deceased, and Hannah 
Carpenter, both of Warwick, married in said Warwick, February 
2, 1786. 

Christopher Andrews, son of Philip Andrews, and Freelove 
Rice, daughter of Job Rice, both of Warwick, married February 
5th, 1786. 



MARRIAGES BY ELDER JOHN GORTON. 101 

Sj'lvester Hazard, son of Dr. Robert Hazard, deceased, of 
South Kins^stown, and Elizabeth Greene, daughter of Richard 
Greene, of Potoworaiit, in Warwick, married March 5th, 1786. 

Martin Nichols, son of Robert Nichols, and Deliverance 
Brown, daughter of Daniel Brown, deceased, both of East 
Greenwich, married in Greenwich, April 2d, 1786. 

Thomas Remington, son of Thomas Remington, of Warwick, 
deceased, and Sarah Cook, widow of Silas Cook, of Warwick, 
deceased, and daughter of Joseph Crawford, of Providence, de- 
ceased, both of Warwick, married May 7tli, 178G. 

Peleg Wightman, son of Elisha Wightman, of Cranston, and 
Sarah Carpenter, daughter of Wilbur Carpenter, of Warwick, 
married July 30, 1786. 

Jonathan Potter, son of Ezra Potter, of Scituate, and Jemima 
Glazier, daughter of John Glazier, both of East Greenwich, 
married in Greenwich, August 6, 1786. 

Pierce Salisbury, son of Mial Salisbury, of Cranston, and 
Jemima Spencer, daughter of Gideon Spencer, of Warwick, 
married September 2, 1786. 

Gideon Wilcox, son of Smitem Wilcox, of East Greenwich, 
and Mary Lilly, daughter of John Lilly, married September 4th, 
1786. 

William Gorton, son of Benjamin Gorton, and Hannah Wight- 
man, daughter of Philip Wightman, both of Warwick, married 
October 1, 1786. 

William Greene, son of Benjamin Greene, and Celia Greene, 
daughter of William Greene, late Governor, both of Warwick, 
married November 7, 1786. 

Anthony Arnold, son of Stephen Arnold, of Warwick, and 
Eunice Andrews, daughter of Jonathan Andrews, of East Green- 
Avich, married in Greenwich, Decembers, 1786. 

Esek Barton, son of Stutely Barton, of Warwick, and Eliza- 
beth Warner, daughter of Ezekiel Warner, of East Greenwich, 
married in Greenwich, December 6, 1786. 

Anthony Arnold, alias Rice, and Ruth Arnold, daughter of 
William Arnold, 3d, both of Warwick, married January 4, 1787. 

William Collins, son of Samuel Collins, of Warwick, deceased, 
and Lydia Sweet, widow, daughter of Caleb Weaden, of East 



102 MARRIAGES BY ELDER JOHN GORTON. 

Greeuwich, deceased, both of Greenwich, married in Greenwich, 
January 7, 1787. 

Joseph Cory, son of Oliver Cory, and Esther Garzie, daughter 
of Capt Garzie, botli of East Greenwich, married in Greenwicli, 
April 5, 1787. 

Caleb Weaver, son of Abiel Weaver, and Freelove Gammet, 
daughter of Isaac Gammet, both of Warwick, married April 7, 
1787. 

Jonathan Austin, of Scituate, son of Pasqua Austin, of Exe- 
ter, deceased, and Mehitable Casey, widow, of Warwick, and 
daughter of John Baker, of Glocester, married July 22, 1787. 

George Thomas, son of Samuel Thomas, of North Kingstown, 
deceased, and Martha Aylesworth, daughter of Philip Ayles- 
worth, deceased, of East Greenwicli, married August 19, 1787. 

Samuel Brown, son of Daniel Brown, deceased, of East 
Greenwich, and Mary Greene, daughter of Richard Greene, de- 
ceased, of Potowomut, Warwick, married October 22, 1787. 

John Coggeshall, son of Benjamin Coggeshall, of East Green- 
wich, and Mary Weaver, daughter of Thomas Weaver, of New- 
port, deceased, both of Warwick, married December 24, 1787. 

William Cezer, of Providence, and Barshaby Rice, of War- 
wick, married in Warwick, February 3, 1788. 

Lowry Church, son of William Church, and Mary Arnold, 
daughter of William Arnold, both of Warwick, married March 
2, 1788. 

Christopher Arnold, son of Stephen Arnold, of Warwick, and 
and Phebe Andrews, daughter of Edmund Andrews, of East 
Greenwich, deceased, married in Greenwich, September 18, 1788. 

William Levally, son of Peter Levally, and Phebe Dexter, 
daughter of Benjamin Dexter, both of Warwick, married Sep- 
tember 25, 1788. 

John Arnold, son of Joseph Arnold, and Hanneritte Jerauld, 
daughter of James Arnold Jerauld, both of Warwick, married 
October 5, 1788. 

Wightman Sweet, son of Benjamin Sweet, deceased, and 
Elizebeth Wickes, daughter of Stutely Wickes, both of Warwick, 
married October 12, 1788. 



MARRIAGES BY ELDER JOHN GORTON. 103 

Pierce Reynolds, son of Shibnah Reynolds, and Anne Button, 
daughter of Rufus Button, of Hopkinton, both of East Green- 
wich, married October 15, 1788. 

Daniel Tillinghast, son of Pardon Tillinghast, of Exeter, and 
Mary Weaver, daughter of Peleg Weaver, deceased of East 
Greenwich, married in Greenwich, October 26, 1788. 

Andrew Boyd, and Elizebeth Spencer, widow, and daughter of 
William Sweet, both of East Greenwich, married in Greenwich, 
December 9, 1788. 

Peter Sprague, son of William Sprague, of Cranston, and 
Mury Carpenter, daughter of Wilbour Carpenter, of Warwick, 
married February 19, 1789. 

Clemmont Weaver, son of John Weaver, deceased, and Cyn- 
thia Spencer, daughter of Thomas Spencer, deceased, both of 
East Greenwich, married March 13, 1789. 

James Gould, son of John Gould, of Newport, deceased, and 
Bethany Bently, daughter of Benjamin Bently, both of East 
Greenwich, married in Greenwich, March 15, 1789. 

David Gorton, son of Joseph Gorton, and Elsie Whitford, 
daughter of George Whitford, both of Warwick, married March 
19, 1789. 

Richard Arnold, son of Thomas Arnold, and Honour Havens, 
both of Warwick, married March 19, 1789. 

Stutely Stafford, son of Stutely Stafford, deceased, of War- 
wick, and Freelove Potter, daughter of Zuroy Potter, of Crans- 
ton, married in Cranston, March 26, 1789. 

Joseph Card, sou of Richard Card, and Sarah Andrews, daugh- 
ter of Benoni Andrews, both of East Greenwich, married in 
Warwick, April 30, 1789. 

John Miller, son of Nathan Miller, of Warwick, and Sarah 
Potter, daughter of Robert Potter, of East Greenwich, married 
in Greenwich, May 15, 1789. 

James Tiffany, son of Thomas Tiffany, of Warwick, and Elize- 
beth Card, daughter of Joseph Card, of East Greenwich, mar- 
ried in Greenwich, May 21, 1789. 

Simmons Spencer, son of John Spencer, of East Greenwich, 
and Amey Briggs, daughter of Joseph Briggs, of Warwick, 
married June 7, 1789. 



104 MAKltlAGES BY KLDER JOHN GORTON. 

Caleb Brayton. son of Francis Rraj'^ton, of Coventry, and 
Anno Arnold, daughter of Stephen Arnold, of Warwick, married 
June 25, 178'J. 

Pompey Mumford, and Sabin Allin, both of East Greenwich, 
married August 19, 1789. 

Burris Lippitt, (Negro), and Mary East, daughter of William 
East, both of Warwick, married September 10, 1789. 

Kufus Barton, son of Stutely Barton, of Warwick, and Mercy 
Card, daughter of Joseph Card, of East Greenwich, married in 
Greenwich, September 10, 1789. 

Isaac Hall, son of William Hall, and Susanna Keynolds, daugh- 
ter of Shibnah Reynolds, both of East Greenwich, married in 
Greenwich, November 22, 1789. 

Anthony liice, son of Holden Kice, deceased, and Martha Cook , 
daughter of Capt. Silas Cook, deceased, both of Warwick, mar- 
ried in Warwick, January 3, 1790. 

Caleb Jerauld, sou of Doctor Dutee Jerauld, and Roby Arnold, 
daughter of Caleb Arnold, both of Warwick, married in Warwick, 
January 19, 1790. 

Alexander Havens, son of William Havens, and Anne Ladd, 
daughter of Capt. John Ladd, deceased, both of Warwick, mar- 
ried January 31, 1790. 

Joseph Baker, sou of Joseph Baker, and Sarah Wightman, 
daughter of Capt. Reuben Wightman, both of Warwick, married 
February 28, 1790. 

James Levally, son of Christopher Levally, deceased, of War- 
wick, and Sarah Aylsworth, daughter of Richard Aylsworth, 
both of East Greenwich, married in Greenwich, March 15, 1790. 

Samuel Stone, son of Samuel Stone, of Cranston, and Hannah 
Sweet, daughter of Thomas Sweet, of Warwick, married March 
18, 1790. 

Weedeu Eldred, son of Thomas Eldred, deceased, of North 
Kingstown, and Mercy Comstock, daughter of Job Comstock, 
of East Greenwich, married in Greenwich, June 22, 1790. 

Jonathan Nichols, son of Benjamin Nichols, and Mary Wight- 
man, daughter of Philip Wightman, deceased, both of Warwick, 
married June 27, 1790. 



MARRIAGES BY ELDER JOHN GORTON. 105 

John Waterman, son of William Waterman, of Warwick, and 
Phebe Weaver, of East Greenwich, daughter of Jonathan 
Weaver, married in Greenwich, July 4, 1790. 

David Greene, of Warwick, and Countes Reynolds, of East 
Greenwich, (colored), married in Greenwich, July 18, 1790. 

Benjamin Carpenter, son of Wilber Carpenter, and Mary Burk, 
both of Warwick, married August 29, 1790. 

Harris Arnold, son of Philip Arnold, deceased, of Warwick, 
and Hannah Weaver, daughter of Jonathan Weaver, of East 
Greenwich, married in Greenwich, September 19, 1790. 

Doctor Jeremiah Greene, son of Col. Christopher Greene, 
deceased, of Warwick, and Lydia Arnold, daughter of Colonel 
William Arnold, of East Greenwich, married in said Greenwich, 
October 7, 1790. 

James Low, and Elizabeth Sambo, (Blacks), living in War- 
wick, married October 14, 1790, 

Othniel Wightman, son of Philip Wightman, deceased, of 
Warwick, and Sarah Arnold, daughter of Oliver Arnold, de- 
ceased, of East Greenwich, married in Greenwich, November 4, 
1790. 

Abraham Pierce, and Welthan Spiwood, (Blacks), both of 
Warwick, married November 9, 1790. 

Fones Spencer, son of Michael Spencer, and Sarah Spencer, 
daughter of Benjamin Spencer, deceased, both of East Green- 
wich, married in Greenwich, November 14, 1790. 

Welcome Spencer, sou of Griffln Spencer, and Mary Morris, 
widow, and daughter of Thomas Landford, deceased, both of 
East Greenwich, married March 21, 1791. 

Samuel Budlong, son of Samuel Budlong, of Warwick, and 
Waity Salisbury, daughter of Nathan Salisbury, of Cranston, 
married in Cranston, April 3, 1791. 

Cyrus Arnold, son of Simeon Arnold, of Warwick, and Anna 
Allin Potter, daughter of Zuriel Potter, of Cranston, married in 
said Cranston, April 14, 1791. 

Elisha Wightman, Jr., son of Elisha Wightman, of Cranston, 
and Elizebeth Arnold, daughter of Stephen Arnold, of Warwick, 
married June 19, 1791. 

Cato Holden, and Sarah King, both of Warwick, married in 
North Kingstown, July 10, 1791. 



106 



MARRfAGES BY ELDER JOHN GORTON. 



Sion Arnold, sou of Oliver Arnold, deceased, and Phebe Arnold 
daughter of Stephen Arnold, both of Warwick, n.arried July lo' 
1791. J 7 

. David Tarbox, son of Samuel Tarbox, deceased, of East 
Greenwich, and Sarah Johnson, daughter of Major John John- 
son, of Coventry, married in Coventry, July 17, 1791. 

Samuel Remington, son of Reuel Remington, and Almy Arnold 
daughter of Thomas Arnold, both of Warwick, married July 17, 

Richard Burk, son of William Burk, and Mary Greene daugh- 
ter of Caleb Greene, both of Warwick, married July 17, 1791.* 

Lawton Spencer, son of Capt. Gideon Spencer, of Warwick 
and Martha Miles, daughter of Jonathan Niles, of East Green- 
wich, married August 7, 1791. 

Joseph Reynolds, son of Thomas Reynolds, and Sibyl Spencer 
both of East Greenwich, married in Greenwich, Augusts, 1791. ' 

Wanton Rice, son of Henry Rice, and Mercy Gardner, both of 
Warwick, married October 2, 1791. 

John Fry, son of Richard Fry, and Hannah Gorton daughter 
of Mary Gorton, both of East Greenwich, married in Greenwich 
October 2, 1791. ' 

Daniel Brown, son of Clark Brown, and Margaret Bri^-s 
daughter of Ebenezer Briggs, both of East Greenwich, mar!-red 
in Greenwich, October 30, 1791. 

Ishmael Rhodes, of Warwick, and Martha Newfield, of Crans- 
ton, married November 20, 1791. 

George Finney, son of Jabez Finney, and Hauahretty Mathews 
daughter of Cobb Mathews, both of East Greenwich, married ij 
Greenwich, May 4, 1792. 



I H Mr '07 



